How The Wedding Bell Toils
by Scarlett-Whitecross20
Summary: The weddings bells chime, the crowd cheers, and the rice is thrown. But what happens to get there? That's what Shiro and the gang must figure out in the coming weeks.
1. Horrible Awakening

Voltron: How The Wedding Bell Toils

Chapter one: Horrible Awakening

_Kimberly's eyes glowed into his, just as they had before. Her hands felt warm and soft in his, instilling that same pride and confidence that he'd had the night he popped the question. Joyful tears shimmered from her eyes and waterfalled over her cheeks with a delicate finesse he'd gotten used to. This moment was too perfect for him to let go of. And Shiro had not thought of anything else during or since that magical night. It seemed to him that Altea was correlating with his decision; because as soon as it had happened, it seemed to celebrate with a prideful release of its own sort of confetti in the form of fireflies and sunset rays. He could vaguely hear the cheers of his friends, as they once again came to congratulate them for their engagement. Suddenly his world entered into slow motion as Pidge jumped in to hug Kimberly excitedly and Keith to come to his side. Keith's hand touched Shiro's shoulder, but for some reason; it felt distant. Like he wasn't even there. Was he as spirit? Or was he going mad? Or maybe it was he, himself, who wasn't actually there. Just the same Keith smiled; his lips moving in the form of words that were so slow, he barely understood them. About halfway through Keith's drawn out sentence, he began to turn black; like he was merely a photo being burned away from behind. Keith lifted his hand off Shiro as the darkness grew more and more until it spread all around him. One by one, each of his friends melted away in this darkening abyss, Shiro reached out, but even Kimberly was burned away; her laugh fading away as she did._

_Now left in the darkness alone, he searched for them. As though this were some trick, and his friends would emerge at any moment to tell him that it was. But this did not happen... instead a sinister laugh echoed around him; putting the admiral on high alert, having recognized the voice. Two eyes appeared through the darkness, and a moment later a blade shot forward from it!.._

Shiro leapt upright; his bayard materializing on right hand, ready to attack. Shiro's breaths were intense and harsh as he began to calm down again. He retracted his bayard to set his hand down at his side, holding himself up better. He sighed deeply and looked to his right. There, on the nightstand, a photo of his bride-to-be resided. Her silvery blue eyes held an infinite glow of her personality and seemed to be alive even from the photo. Her beautiful golden hair curled together in a full ponytail, her blue shirt and tan pants boldly colored by the brightness of the sunlight glowing down on her in this frozen portrait of time. This slice-of-life moment which seemed to pave the way for this very day. Shiro looked away from the photo of Kimberly's smiling face and closed eyes with a sigh.

_XXXX_

The door to the ship's bridge slid aside allowing Shiro to enter. The pilot of the Galra-tech craft glancing back around to him.

"Hey, thanks for coming on this mission." Keith told his brother, as Shiro came to sit down in the co-pilot seat next to him. "I know how busy you've been lately."

"Yeah." The Black Paladin sighed. "Kimberly's family will be arriving soon. And Colleen and Pidge have been working with Kimberly a lot lately on starting the preparations for the wedding."

"And what about you?" Keith asked, briefly glancing at him from the corner of his eye. "The Garrison has been kinda quiet lately. Not much to do. How's everything going?"

"It's been ok." Shiro responded simply, gazing straight ahead at the open space in front of him.

"Pidge is nearly finished her little robot Chip and says he's nearly bug free. And Sam has been developing new weapons using alien technology. Ryner has come by often to help along with some of her Olkari. They're even working on a new ship that'll help us on space missions to the other planets of our solar system." He finally broke his gaze to look at Keith. "What about you?"

"The Galra empire has been improving." Keith smiled. "Krolia and Kolivan have been selected to be the heads of the Galra representatives and have turned the Empire around for the better. Quintessence is being traded versus being taken and things are going great. Allura's doing really well with ruling her people. I mean, it's only been a few weeks, but she's settled into her role better than expected."

"That's good." Shiro half smiled. "I'm glad Allura is settling ok. I'm sure it's a bit strange to return to life to find Altea _and_ Daibazaal restored. And to see how much has changed since our battle against Honerva ended over a year ago."

"Yeah. It's been a bit rough." The half-Galra sighed. "But Lance and Allura are closer than ever. I think he might _do it_ at some point too." Shiro half chuckled.

"I wouldn't blame him." He said. "I'd heard they'd just officially gotten together when we began our fight with Honerva."

"Yeah. And Axca has kinda become more than a friend to me too." Keith admitted, only slightly embarrassed to say.

"Thinking it'll go further?" Shiro implied thoughtfully.

"Maybe." Keith half shrugged. "Right now I guess I'm still kinda learning how our relationship works."

"I get that." Shiro returned tenderly. "But I'm sure that you two will work it out. Figure out what it is. The best thing I can tell you is to be patient. Things'll work themselves out eventually."

"Yeah, I know." Keith half smiled, gazing ahead mindfully.

_XXXX_

Shiro slung a bag over his shoulder and Keith shook hands with the alien leader.

"Thank you for generously donating these supplies for those in need." The Red Paladin told him. "The new Galra Empire will be sure to put them to good use, helping the aliens formerly under Galra enslavement."

"It is our pleasure, Paladin Keith." The leader said. "Our people are fortunate to have recovered from the war against the old Galra empire _and_ the Altean witch. We are always willing to help so long as we continue to have an abundance of supplies."

"The Galactic Coalition thanks you, Shinzar." Shiro told him, shaking hands with the alien; holding the bag over his shoulder with the other.

"It is our pleasure!" Shinzar beamed. "Until next time." Then he gave them a respectful bow. Keith and Shiro bowed their heads in response; and, with that, headed on their way again.

_XXXX_

"I'm really glad we had this time to catch up. Things have been kinda messed up lately." Keith stated as they jetted off from the planet.

"Yeah. Me too." Shiro half smiled. The two fell silent, though this didn't last long.

"You know... now that I think of it." Keith ventured. "We haven't been keeping up on our weekly meals together, with the rest of the team like we used to. We did for a couple weeks after Allura's coronation. But after that we really haven't for a few weeks.

"It was only a month ago." Shiro reminded him. "And things have been a bit rough in transition with Allura returning and taking on a new role, and getting engaged has encouraged some change too. And I'm sure things are still changing with everyone else too. I imagine it will for a while until we all settle in to our new lives. The battle with the Galra, and then Honerva has caused major change throughout the universe. It'll take time for it all to settle down again."

"I guess that's why getting the Galactic Coalition fully operational has become such a priority." Keith guessed.

"Yep. And why some of our personal life things take up the rest of our time and we forget about it." Shiro added.

"Well-... I say we change that when we get back." The Red Paladin decided. "What do you think Shiro?" He asked, peering over at him.

"I think that you're right." The admiral responded thoughtfully. "We haven't really had much time to catch up lately. It'd be good for us to get the team back together again."

_XXXX_

The wormhole flashed and when it decimated Shiro was standing there having stepped right through its vortex to arrive here.

"Welcome back Shiro." Sam greeted from the controls. Kimberly strode up to meet him. Her golden hair pulled back into a long flowing ponytail; the breeze pulling at it ever so delicately.

"Hey you." She smiled, wrapping an arm around his back from the side, as his arm lifted to circle around behind her to her hip. Her other hand went to his chest as she momentarily laid her head against him. "So'd ya have fun?" She asked him tenderly.

"Yeah." The admiral and Black Paladin replied. "It was quite relaxing actually." He had to admit.

"Well I'm glad. Because my folks are thinking about coming a couple weeks sooner than we thought. I hope that doesn't interfere with anything." Kimberly's eyes searched his worriedly.

"Not at all." Shiro responded calmly; putting her worry to rest. "We are expecting them in any case. A couple weeks sooner won't change much."

"Oh, good." Kimberly sighed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "For a second I thought you'd be freaking out. I know you're always so calm, but somehow I feel like this wedding business is already making you anxious."

"Why would you think that?" Shiro asked innocently, a half smile on his face.

"Well-.. this is a big step... for anyone." Kimberly emphasized. "And I know that you, especially, have had a lot going on in your life for the last few years; and this new change may be a bit overwhelming."

"Hey, don't worry about me." Shiro told her, turning to place his hands on her shoulders. "I'll be fine. Let's just focus on creating the wedding that we wanna remember for years to come. Let's make this one of the best days of our lives." Shiro grey eyes, reflected the sincerity of his words and it instilled something positive into Kimberly just by the infectious look in them. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and headed off on her way. Shiro looked over to his left to find Sam still there.

"You two make a fine couple." The commander commented knowingly. "I can already see the dedication you have to one another."

"Thank you, Sam." Shiro smiled. Sam eyed him slightly.

"Are you alright?" He asked the admiral. "You seem distracted."

"Yeah, I think so." Shiro returned simply. "It's probably just the stress of everything going on."

"Your PTSD can often cause extra stress." Sam recalled. "Are you sure your mental state has recovered? I mean you were kinda having a rough go last month during our journey back into space to restore Oriande."

"I.. think so. I mean, I never really _did_ recover from our imprisonment." Shiro told him. "I _still_ relive moments of it from time to time."

"Oh I hear ya." Sam concurred. "I may not've experienced what you did; with the gladiator arenas and the experimentation, but I understand where you're coming from. I was usually the one doing the experiment, and I never saw the test subjects. And it pains me to say that my methods may have been used on you at some point."

"You were a prisoner just like me..." Shiro reminded him; placing a hand on his shoulder. "You didn't have a choice."

"True." Sam realized. "But I, too, still hold onto that guilt, and have nightmares at times just like you... but what I'd give to take yours away from you."

"I know Sam. We all wish that." Shiro agreed. "But all we can do is deal with it in the best way we can." The two men exchanged smiles and headed on in to the Garrison.

**Alrighty! Here is the first chapter of my sequel! Can't wait to see what you guys think of it!! For those of you who don't know, this story(as indicated above and in the description) is a sequel to my story A New Legend Begins(which I recently finished). This story may not be as long as ANLB, but I hope it is just as enjoyable! **

**Also for those of you who have not read it be sure to get on over there to do so(which hopefully by now you have)!! But for those of you who _have _read it. Read on and witness the next stage of my season eight afterstory unfold. And to everyone who reads this... thank you sooo much and enjoy!! Thx!!!**


	2. Rocking The Boat

Chapter two: Rocking The Boat

"Matt and I have been working a lot on ironing out the kinks, but Chip is doing a lot better than he was before." Pidge was saying as she tightened another screw.

"Katie's been working nonstop on him since we returned home from our mission last month." Matthew Holt added amusingly. "He's operational, but needs a bit of work to be fully, one hundred percent functional."

"Sounds like your keeping pretty busy." Shiro commented simply.

"Yup." The Green Paladin said, still focused on her work. She then stopped to look up at him. "You ok Shiro? You seem a bit flat today?"

"Yeah, I-.. I didn't get much sleep last night." The admiral admitted. "Just-.. had a lot to think about."

"Well I think your weekly meals together have been wonderful." Sam commented thoughtfully. "And I do believe you should start doing it again." He looked from his children to Shiro. "And don't worry I'll work a few things out for you to make it possible."

"Thank you, Sam." Shiro half smiled. "I'll talk to Kimberly about it and ask Hunk. Keith is going to talk to Allura, Coran and Lance."

"I'll talk to Colleen and get things set up." Sam decided. "Let Keith and the rest of the team know as soon as we do."

_XXXX_

Shiro strode down the hallway. He could almost swear that the dim light was messing with his eyes. He soon realized that he'd put his hand to the wall, following it wherever it took him. His breaths became a bit heavy like he was running, but yet he was only walking. He gradually slowed his walk to a stop and had to place his other hand to the wall as well; leaning his head toward it. His breaths remained just as heavy. A flash of Wayde's attack zapped back to him and when he came out of it, he abruptly slammed his head firmly to the wall between his hands; is breaths now in gasps, like waking from another nightmare. Shiro eyes remained wide, his pupils shrunk as they glazed over and swelled with this crystal glaze.

"Shiro?" The admiral looked up to find his aunt, Julianne Kogane standing there as a single tear slipped from his eye. Not saying even a word, he abruptly took her in his arms; breaking down like no one, even _she, _had ever seen before. She was taken back by this sudden ambush of a hug, and the tearful, gut-wrenching state he was in; only showing a blank expression on her face, as she hesitantly brought her hands around him.

_XXXX_

Shiro sat at a dark conference room table, his laptop in front of him; acting as the only light other than the gentle glow of the screen to his right. Shiro looked and felt distant, his eyes fixed to the screen in a zombie-like daze; as though it were lulling him into a trance of some kind. The sound of a tray hitting the table shocked him out of it, and he jumped slightly; closing the laptop quickly.

"Now do you wanna tell me what happened back there?" Julianne questioned, pouring some tea into the mugs she'd brought with her.

"Not-.. really." Shiro responded slowly, as she set a mug next to him. He looked up at her, gave a slight, thankful nod and took the cup into his hand.

"Takashi, why do you insist on holding on to your own pain?" His aunt asked him, after taking a sip of her tea and setting it down again. "You have all the family you need to help you work through it, and yet you persist."

"It's complicated." Shiro returned a bit harshly.

"_Life_ is complicated." Julianne corrected tenderly. "But yet we live it every day... you don't _have_ to make it harder on yourself. It's not good for your health. You know you haven't had the best health your whole life, and stress doesn't help it any." She leaned forward onto the table and lowered her head to successfully earn his gaze; placing a hand on his shoulder. "Something is troubling you. I know it by your face." Shiro's eyes widened. "I practically raised you for a considerable chunk of your life." His aunt read his mind. "I can see it in your eyes. You're just like you mother in that way." Shiro dropped his gaze into his lap, sheepishly knowing that he was caught. He opened his laptop and typed in the password to unlock it. And when the screen came up again, he turned it toward her. She stared at him for a moment, their eyes seeming to be their communication. Julianne finally leaned forward to turn her gaze down to read what was on the screen; and covered a gasp with her hand in shock!

_XXXX_

Laughter and chatter was the sound in the air, as the sun shone off towards the horizon; not quite sunken enough for a sunset. The team gathered around the table to assume their seats next to the Allura's statue, as they'd done many times before.

"Where's Shiro?" Lance wondered, gazing back toward the castle expecting to see him coming to join them. "Shouldn't he be here by now?"

"He said he'd be a little late." Keith told him. "Probably had something to take care of first."

_XXXX_

The meal had not yet started when they heard footsteps behind them, and turned to look. Shiro finally arrived, accompanied by two big Garrison officers. Shiro signaled for them to stand by with a wave of his hand, and approached the table to sit down. His demeanor seemed off, bringing a strange presence to the group, even _he_ could feel the awkwardness of his arrival. The team looked from him, to the officers standing erect at the top of the steps where Shiro had left them, then back again.

"Uhh, what's up with _those_ guys?" Lance asked bluntly. Shiro, seeming to ignore their presence, met the Blue Paladin's gaze calmly.

"They're just here accompanying me. Don't mind them." He told him simply. Shiro continued to act as though nothing was off, even though he knew there was. The team hesitantly went back to eating and they resumed their conversations; though the dynamic wasn't quite the same.

_XXXX_

"Tonight was weird, right?" Lance asked pacing back and forth once. "I mean, Shiro showing up with two big guys, and saying that that they're just _'accompanying' _him?" Lance curled his pointer and middle fingers on both hands as he quoted Shiro's words. "It doesn't sound like him, if you ask me." Allura looked on this whole time; patiently waiting, as she sat modestly on the bench with her hands folded in her lap.

"Perhaps there's another training session going on. Shiro has been running them to prepare future generations for any form of attack." The Empress suggested innocently.

"Except for those guys were _not_ cadets." Lance retorted suspiciously.

"I'm just as concerned as you are." Allura told him, rising with a sigh. "But I believe Shiro is in need of protection." Lance looked up at her quickly, alarm flashing across his face; and she put it to rest with a gentle hand on his arm. "His role as an admiral can easily make him a target for attack." She ventured. "Those who seek to take down the Garrison or the Galactic Coalition as a whole. Shiro is right in the middle of all of it. And there are people from Shiro's past that might come back to seek revenge. I'm sure that anyone forced to fight in the gladiator arenas may have some form of vendetta against him. Either out of anger or jealousy; it makes sense that he would need extra protection."

"But why would they come back to harm him now?" Lance wondered, clearly dubious.

"Who knows." The Empress admitted. "But that doesn't mean that the possibility should be discarded. Shiro's new role has unpredictable and unknown dangers attached to it." Lance dropped his gaze in thought, pondering her words carefully. "If it makes you feel better we can go to earth to check in on him if you want."

"Yeah,... maybe." The Blue Paladin breathed thoughtfully after a pause. "But- you don't have to come if you don't want to."

"You don't really think I'd let you go alone for something like this, do you?" Allura smirked, grinning at him. Lance smiled and took her hand in his. And they headed off together; out of the room.

_XXXX_

Keith practically had to dodge another Garrison staff member. It seemed different here today. Though it had been a few weeks since he'd last been here, the Garrison seem way more lively than usual. And,... judging by the extra security around nearly every corner, a lot more secure as well. Pidge and Hunk pushed their way through to join him.

"Hey, where you headed?" Hunk asked casually.

"I was coming to see Shiro." Keith replied simply.

"Us too." Pidge admitted. "Garrison Security are everywhere."

"Yeah, I kinda noticed that." Keith remarked dryly, weaving in and out to avoid collision with other people walking the opposite direction as he was.

"-Ditto." Lance grunted, pushing in next to them, Allura not far behind. The crowd finally diminished and they could walk comfortably through the halls, noticing more security guards stationed throughout.

"Ugh finally." Lance groaned distastefully, stumbling forward out of the crowd. He glanced back briefly, only to hit a brick wall that was the Red Paladin. "Dude, come on, what's the deal, man?" He questioned, then he looked up at what he was looking at.

**Hi guys, how's it going? Don't have much to say other than what I always do. Can't wait to hear your thoughts and, I hope you guys enjoy!! Thx!!!**


	3. Security!

Chapter three: Security!

"Halt!" The same security guard from the other night commanded, extending hand out.

"Wh- Why?" Lance asked, surprised.

"We're the Paladins of Voltron?" Keith explained like they should know who they were. "We're here to speak to Shiro."

"We have orders to not let anyone through who hasn't gotten proper clearance." The other security guard told them in a one-note tone.

"But- don't we already have that?" Pidge pointed out.

"The only one here who has clearance is him." The first guard replied, pointing to Keith.

"What?! Why's he the only one?" Lance questioned, crossing his arms; feeling a bit betrayed.

"He's related to Shiro." Pidge reminded him casually. "There brothers remember."

"Paladins." Sam's voice interrupted their conversation, as he strode up. His smiled indicated he was glad to see them. "Is there a problem here?" He asked a moment later.

"You could say that." Keith replied, shrugging simply.

"We're here to talk to Shiro." Pidge told him.

"And we seem to be having a bit of difficulty getting passed the security around here." Allura chimed in.

"Oh well in that case." The commander stepped up to the two guards. "I have the clearance, they're with me." He told them in a stately manner; erectly standing before them.

"I'm sorry Sam, but you that doesn't work." The first guard said.

"Well it does today." Sam returned firmly. "There is no reason why the Paladins of Voltron don't have proper clearance to see their own leader and comrade. You know as well as I, that they are all like family to each other; not just Keith. Now stand aside. I will deal the clearance issue immediately following this unorthodox visit." Sam's tense expression stared them down relentlessly. And the two guards exchanged glances, before stepping aside.

_XXXX_

The door slid open and they caught sight of Shiro immediately sitting at a table, directly facing them, with his laptop in front of him. His stare tense and troubled, as he studied the screen. The edge of his prosthetic right hand rested on the table, holding his hand up to his face; his other hand laid in a fist on the table's surface. Shiro looked up from the computer to see them. He closed the laptop quickly and stood up.

"What are you doing here? Is everything alright?" He asked, becoming concerned.

"We were actually coming to see you." Keith said, his eyes searching his brother's.

"We almost didn't make it." Lance told him dryly. "This place is practically a prison camp." Pidge elbowed him distastefully at this statement.

"I know, I'm sorry about that." Shiro sighed apologetically, dropping his gaze.

"Shiro what's going on?" Keith asked, worry poking through his calm tone. "Why is the Garrison so stiffly secured?" Shiro was silent, meeting Sam's gaze. The two seemed to have a conversation through their eyes, one that no one seemed to fully catch on to. The admiral sighed and turned his back to them, placing his hands on the table that was against the wall behind him. He shifted his weight onto his palms, and closed his eyes. After another moment of silence, he opened them again.

"A threat has been made against me." He forced himself to say. As soon as the team heard these words, they froze. A chill running up and down their spines and their blood running cold.

"By who?" Keith gasped, trying not to lose it. Shiro turned back toward them, leaving one hand still on the table.

"No one knows." He sighed. "All we know is that they mean business."

"When did you know about this?" Keith questioned, fearing what he would say.

"Last week." Shiro admitted.

"Before our mission?" Keith asked, hoping it wasn't so.

"After." Shiro corrected.

"But it was before our dinner the other day." Pidge recalled. Shiro nodded.

"Sam advised that we double security, and have constant protection for me." The Black Paladin confirmed. The team turned their gaze on Commander Holt.

"Shiro showed it to me a couple days after he and Keith returned from their mission." He told them. "I advised the extra security as a safety measure, until we find out more about who sent this message and why."

"So what have you discovered so far?" Allura asked, stepping toward Shiro.

"Not much." Sam responded unfortunately, as Shiro dropped his gazeaway from them again. "All we know is that this person wants Shiro to back off on something."

"Like what?" Lance asked curiously. Shiro and Sam met each other's gaze and Sam nodded at him. Shiro then went over to his computer and opened it up.

"All we know is this..." Shiro turned the screen toward them. And they all gazed down at it. The message read:

"If you go through with this, I will kill you!"

The team could gasped in horror; cold sincerity of this statement piercing them through their own souls.

"Shiro! Who would want to do this? Who would wanna hurt you?" Keith questioned a bit panicked.

"I can only think of one person." Shiro replied gravely. "But no one has seen him since he attacked me before our mission to Oriande." Keith's eyes zig-zagged down in thought, when the answer brought them back up again.

"Wayde." He breathed in realization.

"Yes, but, as I said, no one knows his whereabouts since before the Oriande mission.." Shiro sighed. "That means he could be anywhere."

"Which makes him the perfect answer for this." Keith decided.

"Maybe so, but until we know for sure, we can't take any chances." Shiro reminded him.

"What have you been doing to find him?" Keith wondered.

"We've checked his house, and the Garrison Barracks where he generally stays, no sign of him." The admiral told them. "We've sent messages for all Garrison personnel to keep an eye out for him. And have sent police officers in search of him, but it's proven unsuccessful so far."

"So, what, you're doing nothing else?" Pidge questioned. Shiro opened his mouth to speak.

"You're making do with what you have until you know more." Keith answered for him. "We understand." He finished this statement while waving Pidge down from approaching Shiro to protest further.

"Until we get more information we're forced to take extra, mandatory measures in ensuring this threat doesn't become a reality." Shiro stated, placing his palms to the table on either side of his laptop; staring at it in frustration.

"So what does this mean for everything _else_ going on in your life?" Allura wondered. Shiro's jaw tightened and he didn't look up.

"Shiro, this is a lot to take in..." Keith told him tenderly. "It's ok to be upset about it." Shiro looked up at him, and they held each other's gaze for a short while. Keith could see Shiro's resistance, knowing that he disliked expressing his emotions. And the more they stared, the more he seemed to resist. Keith's gentle eyes must have broken him, or maybe he got too tired to resist, either way Shiro finally gave in. Closing his eyes, he dropped his head with a heavy sigh as he sunk down into his chair; placing his elbows to the table and his hands to his face. The team drew closer tenderly, understanding that he needed their support. Keeping his hands covering his face, Shiro drew in another deep breath. He fisted his hands and held them to his lips, thoughtfully staring ahead at nothing.

"I'm not sure what to do." He said finally dropping one arm to the table. "This one thing has been all I can think about for the last few days since I found it."

"No one can blame you for that." Keith told his brother gently, standing at his right side; hands to the back of the chair and the edge of the table. "But that's why we're here to help you."

"Allura may have been right before." Shiro sighed, after closing his eyes briefly once more. "And now I'm afraid I might have to step back from a few things." The team gasped, their faces showing that of concern and hurt.

"Shiro, you can't be seri-"

"There's no other way." The admiral cut Keith off. "Whoever has threatened against me, wants me to back off on something. I don't want to risk any lives because of it. Cause even if they can't get to _me_, they'll go after someone I care about to _get_ to me." He glanced up at them sadly. "And I can't take that risk."

"Shiro.. no one is asking you to protect us." Keith told him.

"Yeah we can handle ourselves just fine." Pidge chimed in, pacing forward.

"I know..." Shiro sighed again. "But I don't want to see any of you get hurt."

"So what'do wanna do?" Keith asked after a short pause. Shiro glanced down at the table and closed his eyes again, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I don't know." He said, dropping his shoulders in defeat.

**Hi-yah guys!! Whasup! This chapter was kinda hard, but fun at the same time!! This story may be a lot shorter than A New Legend Begins, and my planned _third_ entry will probably be a bit longer than this story is. But at this point anything's possible. ;D Hope you enjoy!! Thx!!!**


	4. Family Matters

Chapter four: Family Matters

Shiro sat alone on a bench overlooking the Garrison; the sun slowly sinking into the distant horizon bathing the earth in hues of fiery golds, oranges, and yellows. He sighed and leaned forward to brace his elbows on his knees. His chin dropped and he stared at the floor; the gorgeous view unable to deter him from this horrible, sick feeling deep inside his chest. He feared that what he was about to do would push him off the edge again, but knew he must do it anyway. Yet his heart ached still and kept his emotions bubbling up like a bottle being shaken. How much more pressure would he have to take before he breaks? Could he stop himself from doing it at the wrong time? Was there even a way to relieve it? Shiro desperately clawed through his mind for the answers to these questions;... but only found more questions, or answers that brought on more questions.

"Takashi?" Shiro's heart leaped; the moment he'd been dreading was finally here. His heart was now in his throat; and he feared that he could not speak the words he needed to say.

"Uh- Kimberly. Hey." Shiro managed to say, sliding over a bit to allow her to sit down next to him. She took a seat and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and forearm; her touch somehow instilling even just a little comfort for the shaken admiral.

"Sam said you were looking for me." Kimberly told him calmly, a touch of delicate seriousness in her tone. "Are you alright?" She asked, looking him in the eyes. Shiro hesitated before finally bringing himself to met her gaze.

"I can't keep secrets." Shiro began simply. "You've probably known me long enough to know that."

"Which is why I wanna help." Kimberly confirmed tenderly, slipping her hand into his as his eyes dropped away from her. "But?" She lowered her chin toward him; as if implying something.

"I'm not gonna start keeping secrets now." Shiro said, forcing himself to glance back up at her. "A threat has been made against me." Kimberly gasped, attempting to cover it with her hand. "And I feel like the safest thing to do.. is to step back."

"From what?" Kimberly asked, confused bay his meaning.

"Everything..." Shiro trailed off painfully.

"You mean?.." they stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. "You don't want to do you?" She implied, having read his eyes like an open book. "Then don't." She said, scooting toward him. "I don't care how bad it is." She told him, clasping her hands around his in his lap. "I wanna be with you. And I know that you do too." Her blue eyes stared into his grey ones. "No one can tell you how to be happy. That's for you to decide. I'm not going anywhere." She finished this last statement, while lifting her right hand to his cheek.

"It'll be dangerous." Shiro told her, his eyes solemn. "I'm not sure I wanna risk you getting hurt." Kimberly brushed her left hand from Shiro's right temple, through his floof to the other side; and leaned in for a quick kiss.

"I am." She said simply, leaning back again.

"Kimmie!!" An ecstatic voice rang out. The Shiro looked up, and Kimberly swiveled around to find a elderly couple coming toward them up the cemented path. A young man and woman accompanied them, as the elderly woman wrapped her arms around Kimberly lovingly.

"Oh my dear sweet Kimmie!" The woman said, hugging her daughter close.

"-it's great to see you too, Mom." Kimberly replied, her voice a bit constricted by the tight grip around body.

"Long time no see, Evelyn; Mark." Shiro smiled flatly, attempting to mask his dreary feeling.

"Takashi Shirogane!" Evelyn boomed. "It as indeed been awhile! Sorry for not giving you the heads up, but we couldn't get any service on the plane and the jostling of the take-off and landing didn't help matters any either." Kimberly went in to embrace her father.

"When we got the call from Kimberly a month ago we were over the moon!!" Mark told Shiro. "We knew it'd been a long time since you'd seen each other, and heard about the mission that brought you two closer together. We were overjoyed to know that our little girl was finally gonna tie the knot."

"Thanks Dad." Kimberly smiled, putting an arm around Shiro and placing a hand to his chest.

"Well. Now that we're here, let's go get settled, shall we?" Evelyn decided.

"How's it going, Kimmie." The young woman asked, walking in to Kimberly for a hug.

"Better now that you're here, Joanna!" Kimberly responded holding her sister close with her arms folded around her.

"We've missed you since you moved back out here last month." The young man said.

"And I've missed you since then." Kimberly told her brother, hugging him as well.

"It's great to see you again, Zachery." Shiro smiled, a bit more warmly. "Still studying computer science?"

"Graduated actually." The young man returned, shooting him a bright grin. "I worked at the same Garrison branch that Kimmie transferred to when we moved there to be closer to her."

"Sounds like you have a good thing going then." Shiro implied positively.

"Yeah." Zachery sighed light-heartedly. "I'm hoping to tranfer here since Kimberly's coming back here. Mom and dad are contemplating moving back so we can keep the family close by again."

"Well and most of our other relatives live around here, anyhow." Evelyn sighed, turning from her son to Shiro. "And we can't miss out on the most important milestones in our sweet Kimmie's life, now, can we?"

"Ha, no, Mom. We definitely can't let that happen." Kimberly chuckled humorously.

"Well, as I said. Let's all get going, the others are waiting." Evelyn decided, taking her husband by the elbow, as he escorted her back the way they'd come.

"Others?" Kimberly echoed, following after her family; Shiro not far behind. "You mean rest of the crew is here?" She asked, coming alongside them quickly.

"You didn't think we'd come without bringing the whole clan did you?" Her mother returned casually. They soon arrived at a door and she pushed it open. When she did, several faces turned to look at them, and a hardy cheer rose up from amongst the group. Kimberly marveled at this pleasant surprise, her face awestruck with happiness as many hugs and proud chatter began to ensue.

_XXXX_

"We have to tell them what is going on, or everyone in this room could be in danger." Shiro mumbled to Kimberly as she filled their glasses full of punch.

"Everything will be fine." Kimberly told him simply. "I understand the sensitivity of the situation. Really, I do." She looked up at him, after handing him a cup. "But I think it's best we talk about this further, before we say anything to my family. I want to understand this just as much as you do. This is something we need to work through together. You know that quitting isn't the answer... it's just not you. You're _not_ a quitter, and you shouldn't be expected to start now." Shiro opened his mouth to protest, but realized he had nothing to say in response.

"You can't tell me you've changed _that_ much, since we worked together here." Kimberly told him, reading his reaction clearly. Shiro dropped his gaze sheepishly in defeat. And she brought it back up with her hand to his cheek and saying: "hey, we'll figure this out. But for now, let's enjoy the company that's here to celebrate with us. I mean, you know them; they threw a party just for us. Right here." She gestured out to the Brookes family clan laughing and jeering amongst themselves. Shiro turned his head to face her again; his eyes closed.

"Alright. But we can't put this off any longer than we have to." Shiro told her. "The situation is too dire for that."

"I know." Kimberly assured him, her blue eyes tender. "I don't want to be insensitive or make you and your situation feel insignificant. But I think it's time you take a break from the problems of the world;.. even for a short time." Shiro simply looked out at the family gathering around him, developing a dire feeling in his heart.

**Hey guys what's up?!?! Here's the next chapter. The next one will actually be posted tomorrow, because I had this chapter done a few days ago and was too lazy to get it posted sooner. So I kinda had this chapter and the next chapter done, but needed to post this one sooner. So I apologize for that! But I still hope you are enjoying this story and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on it. Thx!!**


	5. The Ultimate Sacrifice

Chapter five: The Ultimate Sacrifice

"Thank so much for the party, Mom." Kimberly smiled, holding her mother's hands in hers; Shiro at her side. "It was wonderful." She commented further.

"Thank you, sweetie." Evelyn beamed proudly. "Ooh, I can't wait for the big day! It's going to be just perfect!" The older lady gushed, almost as though she were a teenager again; the excitement she felt dripping of her very demeanor.

"I'm sure it will be too." Kimberly told her mother simply. "We'll talk you later, ok."

"Oh, sure thing, dear." Evelyn imparted, clasping her daughter's hands in hers, and patting them gently. "I'm sure you two'll want some time alone, after a day like today."

"We both are so thankful for all you've done for us." Shiro told them, stepping forward to place a hand on Kimberly's shoulder. "We appreciate you coming to celebrate with us. And we can't wait to be able to celebrate some more."

"Wonderful!" Evelyn breathed, still beaming brightly. "Well, I suppose we better be going. Our hotel awaits. Goodnight, Kimmie, looking forward to seeing you and your lovely husband-to-be soon. Have a good night, Shiro."

"You too." Shiro nodded. Evelyn strode away, beckoning to her husband and children to leave too, closing the door behind them. As soon as they were alone, the two simultaneously drew in an exhausted sigh.

_XXXX_

Shiro stood against the wall, his arms crossed with his legs; and his head lowered. Kimberly laid back in her chair, her body leaned on her left elbow on the arm of the chair. Her fingers cradling her chin in her hand, as she watched him tenderly. Shiro just stared at the floor, his eyes half open and settled on the floor; refusing to look up. A flash of the terrors that plagued his dreams flashed across his mind, and he flinched at the memory as it zapped through him.

"How long has this been happening?" Kimberly asked gently, as he relaxed again.

"Six years..." Shiro breathed, almost embarrassed. "Ever since I was captured by the Galra, and then experimented on; being forced to fight for their entertainment."

"And this happened for the _whole_ six years? This...torture."

"No." Shiro immediately denied. "Only the one... After the Kerberos mission failed with the Galra's sudden appearance, Sam, Matt, and I were eventually split apart and I was sent from the arenas to the labs. A Galra working for the Blade of Marmora against the Empire, named Ulaz, freed me a year after I was taken by the Galra. And helped me escape so I could return to earth to find the Blue Lion of Voltron hidden somewhere not far from here. I managed to get here, but I crashed. And when I woke up again, I was in a Garrison quarantine lab." He turned to look at her. "Keith and the other Paladins apparently busted me out and took me to Keith's childhood home. I don't remember anything from the escape, because Commander Iverson had instructed that I be_ 'put under' _for testing." He looked down at his hand. "Truth is.." he said, clenching his hand into a fist. "This isn't the first prosthetic I've ever had." He closed his eyes. "I'm sure Pidge or Lance has pictures of us back then, when I had my.. _other arm._" Kimberly made no move, her eyes meandering to the floor thoughtfully.

"Maybe I'll take a look sometime." She said. "But then what happened to this.. _'other arm'_?" Shiro looked up at her simply, their eyes locking for a few brief moments.

_XXXX_

Shiro immediately regretted telling her the story he'd just told her, the moment he saw her face; but refused to say anything for fear of what'd come out of his mouth. She turned her eyes loose upon him, her eyes showing nothing but the shocking dazzle of the love and compassion he'd come to know in her. She rose from her chair and strode over to him. Reaching him, she ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him delicately on the lips, pressing her forehead to his.

"Thank you for sharing that with me." She told him softly. "I know it probably wasn't easy to. And I'm sure your PTSD from one of your previous missions didn't help all that much... but I'm really glad you decided to say it anyway. And you can be sure that no matter how bad it gets... no matter how ugly those nightmares get... no matter how painful they are... I will be here with you. I don't care how damaged and broken you are from them, or how deeply they drag you down. I'm not letting you go with out a fight."

"But you haven't seen what I have." Shiro told her, placing his hands on her wrists, tears welling up in his eyes as his emotions swelled up again. "You have no idea how horrible things were for me back then."

"And I don't care." Kimberly return firmly. "I will never give up on you... you heard it from Sam, you said it to Keith and I'm saying it to you. There is nowhere I would rather be than right here with you." She leaned her body into him ever so slightly; so they were barely touching at all. Sliding her hands down to his chest, they remained there with their foreheads still pressed together; their eyes closed. The gates finally broke and two crystal streams brought instant relief to the bottle that was about to burst deep inside of him. After a moment of silence passed, Shiro shifted himself off the wall to embrace her; stretching his arms around her shoulders so she could warp hers under his and around his back. Laying her head on his shoulder, he nestled his chin into her golden hair gently; staring directly ahead of himself.

"You'd really give up your own sound mind for me." He thought aloud.

"Always." She said simply, after a short pause. "I not afraid of a little darkness." She looked up at him. "Even if it comes from a deep place for you. But I want you to _promise_ to be open with me about it. Not let it tear you up inside;.. call it our philosophy, if you will. 'If one of us suffers, we both do.' I'm willing to do that.. with you."

"You'd really suffer for me." Shiro seemed half surprised, but successfully masked it in his calm tone. Kimberly nodded slightly, her eyes blinking in a genuine, staccato confirmation.

"*scoff* Well, if I'm gonna be tying my life to you, then I guess I do." Shiro said finally, letting out a gasping sigh, that almost sounded like a chuckle; as a small smile cracked across his face. Kimberly's expression also shifted to a humorous one, indulging his joking as his personality seemed to return. Kimberly brushed away his tears, as they kissed once more and hugged each other from the side; then walked toward the door and left the room together.

_XXXX_

The table was silent... even more so due to the empty chair in the circle leaving it broken and incomplete. Each person wondered what to do, but feared to break the silence; brought on by the awkwardness that hung in the atmosphere. And when footsteps sounded behind them, the team all looked to surprisingly see Shiro standing there. The atmosphere shifted as soon as they saw him;.. but to what... they couldn't be sure. Shiro strode forward without a word and took his place.

"So..." Lance finally spoke up, surprising, even, himself. "You ok?"

"Better.. actually." Shiro sighed, an optimistic lightness to his, otherwise, flat tone. "Kimberly and I talked about things and she's not going anywhere. She's willing to go all in, despite the circumstances so.. the wedding planning will continue just the same. We're just gonna keep taking the necessary precautions until we figure out who sent that threat and how to handle it."

"So how you feeling?" Lance continued. "You've seemed a bit off lately."

"Yeah..I.." Shiro trailed off, dropping his gaze into his lap. "I've still been a bit stretched thin, even with the few things that's been happening lately."

"It's ok, Shiro." Keith encouraged simply. "We totally get it. Things have been kinda stressful lately, it's no wonder you're struggling to keep up."

"I know. I feel like I've always got some sort of issue I need to attended to, without any time to relax much." Shiro sighed, leaning his head against his hand; anchoring his elbow to the table.

"Maybe it's time we start working on that." Keith suggested.

"Yeah, maybe." Shiro thought. He shifted onto both elbows, clasping his hands together. "But, believe it or not, coming here has already been quite helpful." The team's faces lightened up at this.

"We're glad you're feeling better Shiro." Keith smiled. "And we're ready to help in any way we can."

"Thank you." Shiro smiled. "But for now, let's just enjoy tonight. We have a lot of work ahead of us; best to get some celebrating in before we go to work again."

"Now we're talking!" Lance sang proudly. "Razzle dazzle, baby!"

"Lance I'm not sure there will be much of that... until the wedding." Allura pointed out, half amused.

"Well-.. yeah, but doesn't mean we can't start now right?" Lance shrugged loosely. "You know, get some practice in before the big day." The team chuckled at the hilarity of Lance's statement and began to eat and talk happily amongst one another.

**Hey guys! What up?! So this chapter was actually kinda fun to write, mostly due to the Shiro and Kimberly focus here. The discussion between these two have _really_ been showing the dedication between them. And I hope that you guys see that too. Kimberly is a strong woman and that's the kind of person, Shiro needs in his life(I mean besides Keith;D). Someone who can be there for him in the same way Keith is. And I have a feeling that Sam is the same way. A man who once fought for Shiro because he knew he had potential for great things(which he was right;D). But that's just me, I guess. Let me know your thoughts on this! And enjoy this next chapter!! Thx!!!**


	6. The Countdown Begins

Chapter six: The Countdown Begins

"Ok let's see, cake, flowers, dresses, venue." Colleen listed, looking at the paper she had before her.

"Don't forget music and dancing." Pidge added, peeking over her shoulder.

"I don't think we'll have much dancing." Shiro commented, glancing at Kimberly.

"Aw come on. You've got to, _at least_, have your first dance as bride and groom." Pidge complained. "It's tradition." She waved her hand half-hazardly into the air at this last statement.

"Alright." Shiro chuckled lightly. "I'll only do it for you, Pidge... in the name of tradition, I suppose."

"Alright." Colleen commentated, as she wrote something down on the clipboard. "We've already been looking at wedding dresses, and still haven't quite found the one yet. But I'm sure we can find another afternoon to got looking again. Do either of you have you bridesmaids or groomsman figured out yet?" Shiro and Kimberly looked to one another with a blank stare.

"Well we have our maid of honor and best man." Shiro said simply. "Does that count."

"It does..." Colleen mused. "But not for much. We'll have to work on that." She squinted and tensed her shoulder, as she scribbled down something else. "Now, food. Are we wanting to do a banquet?"

"I would think so." Kimberly nodded, looking to Shiro for a nod of his own.

"Ok. We'll narrow down the details of that later." Colleen recorded their answer before looking up once more. "Is that everything?"

"Hm.. I think so." Shiro shrugged, after exchanging a brief glance with Kimberly once more.

"Alright. So first on the list... cake. How are we planning on doing this?" Colleen asked, turning her gaze on them once again.

"We were actually wondering that ourselves." Kimberly admitted. "We were hoping for someone close to us to do it; but.. we don't seem to know who to ask." She leaned forward to brace her elbows to her knees, to clasp both of Shiro's hands in hers.

"Well I'd be happy to do it if you like." Colleen offered. "I've kinda gotten to know you two quite well over the years, before you two parted ways."

"That would be wonderful." Kimberly sighed with relief.

"We'd be honored for you to take care of that for us." Shiro smiled.

"I'm sure Evelyn will be interested in helping out as well." Colleen went on, returning a bright smile of her own. "Ok; next, what kind of flowers are you thinking?"

"I suppose we better come up with a color theme first." Kimberly realized. Shiro leaned forward, now, to join her.

"What about a dark purple, like your grandmother Rory liked?" He suggested thoughtfully. "I know, she would have loved to be here." Kimberly's gaze fell sorrowfully at this reminder.

"Yeah... she would have." Shiro placed a hand up on her shoulder to squeeze it gently. "-I remember she loved irises. The darkest purple you could get them in." Kimberly reminisced, her eyes glazing a bit. "So now I take some to her every year; and leave them by her stone." A tear finally snuck down her face and Shiro pulled her head into him; holding her tightly in his grasp. After a short moment, she reached up to brush away the tears with her fingers; as she began to calm down again.

"I think she would love for us to remember her on our wedding day." She said finally, her voice a bit shaky.

"I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to-"

"No. *sniff* it's fine." Kimberly consoled Mrs. Holt. "Grandma Rory was just one of those people you can never stop including in life... even after they're gone."

"How long ago?" Colleen wondered softly. "If I may ask."

"*sigh* eight years." Kimberly said, drying another tear with her finger.

"I'm so sorry." Colleen told her tenderly. "I'm sure it's still not easy to deal with yet." Kimberly nodded, ridding herself of another escaping tear. "But I think purple is a great color for a wedding. And if you like we can use purple irises just like what your grandmother loved."

"Yes, that would be.. wonderful." Kimberly breathed, composing herself once more. "Thank you."

"Wonderful.." Colleen smiled, beginning to write again. "Once we figure out who the bridesmaids and groomsman are we can figure out what types of dresses we'll need."

"And I know the perfect seamstress to help us out..." Kimberly smiled, hugging Shiro close to her. "My cousin, Blake. She's the best there is."

"Maybe we can even have her design your wedding dress too." Pidge suggested, leaning forward again.

"That's perfect." Kimberly beamed brightly.

"Alright then, I think we have a plan there." Colleen smiled. "All that's left is the venue, decorations and setting a date."

"Sounds like we have our work cut out for us." Shiro said. "So let's get to work." One thing after another was check and re-checked over the next few weeks; while life still continued on; shopping and surfing the web became their side project.

_XXXX_

Shiro strode into the hanger of the Atlas, and immediately froze when he looked up. Scribbled in black spray paint(at least that's what it looked liked), the message read:

"Three strikes you're out, Paladin!"

And it bore the black Voltron symbol, with a sword slicing through it. Shiro stumbled back, panic beginning to overtake him as he gasped for breath; catching himself against the hanger's large doors. Holding his head with his other hand, a harsh flash of his dream zapped him quickly. He felt a jerk in his chest that seemed almost real; and he grabbed his chest with his right hand. He slid his other hand down the door, as he sank to the ground. His head lowered and his eyes fixed to the ground, as he breathed slow, heavy breaths.

"Shiro! Are you alright?!" The admiral looked up toward the voice of the Blue Paladin, to see the Paladins and Sam coming toward him quickly; alarm and concern plastered across their faces. The team immediately gathered around him. Keith had ended up standing right behind Shiro; when he looked up to see the Atlas.

"What the..." Keith trailed off, then everyone else looked up, and were shocked and horrified by what they saw.

"Shiro.. What happened?" Sam asked in a clear, concerned, and alarmed tone, placing a hand on Shiro's shoulder to gain his glance.

"I just.. found it this way." Shiro replied, as Lance pulled his arm to help him up. "Whoever is doing this is getting more and more serious about pushing me away from something."

"Then we need to find them. And put a stop to this." Keith decided firmly. "Has anyone tracked down Wayde yet?"

"No.. there's been no sign of him." Shiro sighed unfortunately, still looking a bit shook up. "We've been searching, but we can't seem to get anywhere in finding him.

"He's been missing for over three months." Keith stated simply. "He can't have gotten too far in that time... We'll find him.. and figure out what's going on."

"For now let's get someone to clean off the Altas, and get you inside to relax." Sam decided, as they all turned to leave the hanger. But as he was saying this, Shiro felt a dizzy spell come over him and he nearly fell; but Keith and Lance were there to catch him. Shiro could feel his heart pounding in his chest and hear it in his ears. A lightness came to his head, and a weakness to his extremities.

"Woah- easy Shiro." Lance cried, struggling to stop his fall. The admiral held a hand to his chest, as he felt a slight difficulty to breathe.

"We need to get him inside, now." Sam told them urgently. "Let's go." Keith and Lance slung Shiro's arm's over their shoulders, to follow Sam. "And send for Kimberly." Commander Holt added. "She'll wanna know about this."

"Keith-" Shiro gasped breathlessly. "I don't- feel-.. so good." The Black Paladin barely had the breath to say this, as he wheezed once more. And Keith got this horrible dark thought in his head, that was already eating away at him from the inside out.

**What is up everybody!! B) Haven't posted to this story for awhile, but I hope it was worth the wait!! **

**Just a note, Grandma Rory(Kimberly's grandmother) is actually a reference to _my_ grandmother. She died almost three years ago, and I, quite honestly, still struggle with that; even now. She loved purple like my character, Rory. And Kimberly's line: "someone you never stop including... even after they're gone." Rings true for me as well. Anyway though, enjoy this next chapter. And I'll see you next time! Thx!!!**


	7. Flash, Bang, Wallop!

Chapter seven: Flash, Bang, Wallop!!

"Takashi!" Kimberly burst into the room, practically throwing the doors aside. Looking around she finally spotted him, surrounded by the other Paladins. The team split away for her to gain access to him, and she quickly came over to sit on the bed next to him. The paleness of his face, and the glassiness of his eyes indicated exactly how he was feeling. She set a hand to his cheek and he brought his own up to grasp it.

"I'm alright." He told her, attempting to fake it.

"Clearly you're not." She told him definitively, placing her other hand to his face. "What happened?"

"Another health scare I'm afraid." Sam sighed gravely. "It's the heart this time."

"But.. he doesn't have any heart conditions." Kimberly recalled. "What could be causing it?"

"I think he's been under so much stress lately, that it's starting to affect his heart." Commander Holt guessed. "And if we don't find away to bring his stress level down, he may start to have bigger problems."

"So the stress is what's causing this?" Keith asked, standing next to Shiro behind Kimberly.

"Yes, his heart is strained to the point of this weakened state. Our discovery in the hanger may have just made it worse."

"Discovery?" Kimberly echoed, looking at them strangely. "What discovery?" Everyone's gaze fell.

"Another threat I'm afraid." Keith told her quietly.

"And you won't believe what they said." Pidge added, pulling it up on her phone, and showing it to her. Kimberly was silent for a good long while, her jaw tensed and her eyes stared.

"This man is a monster." She said finally, a cold bitterness to her tone. "Whoever they are must be stopped! There's no reason for this harassment, none whatsoever!"

"We're all in agreement with you." Lance began, stepping forward to lay a hand on her shoulder. "And were trying our best to figure this out. But right now Shiro needs us to be there for him."

"I knew something didn't feel right." Shiro began slowly. "But I never thought that-..." he trailed off slowly, as if losing the words he wanted to speak.

"You're under a lot of pressure right now, Shiro." Sam reminded him. "I'm honestly surprised this hasn't happened sooner. Guess you may be tougher than we thought."

"*playful scoff* maybe it was the Galra imprisonment." Shiro joked lightly.

"Come on, don't take it like that." Keith told him tenderly. "We'll get through this."

"I know.. but until then, we need to be extra careful." Shiro laid his head back against the pillow delicately. "If this person means what he says and, if my guess is correct, we only have one more chance before they come after us. And who knows what they plan to do, when they do."

"We'll keep trying to figure this out." Sam assured him. "But right now we need to focus on getting your stress level down." Keith's eyebrows furrowed together thoughtfully, as he searched the air for an answer. After a moment his eyes lit up, and he looked up again.

"I think I have an idea." He said finally.

XXXX

Shiro strode out into the morning sun, to be confronted with something that froze him in his tracks. Keith stood next to two familiar shapes with his helmet in hand.

"You ready to have another go?" He asked, tossing Shiro his own helmet. The admiral instinctively caught it; and looked up from it after a moment; a small smile crossing his face.

"It'd be just like old times." Shiro beamed tenderly, holding the helmet at his hip as he strode closer.

"Just like old times." Keith repeated, softly confirming this. The two men began to take their places at the controls of the two, old hover-speeders, and adjusted their helmets. "Maybe I'll even beat you this time;_ old timer_." Keith shot him a knowing grin in saying this.

"You don't even know how long it has been since you'd called me that." Shiro replied amusingly. "But, let's see what you got, _cadet_." Shiro revved the speeder to life and took off. Keith shielded his face from the dust it kicked up, then shook his head knowingly; before making chase.

As the two speeders sped away, a certain bride-to-be watched with her family and the rest of the team. A look of concern plastered itself across her face, and a slight feeling of helplessness and fear began to take a hold of her; as she watched them disappear from view. Coran came alongside her, and wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulders. Zachery appearing at her other side and taking her hand in his; giving it a gentle squeeze of reassurance. This earned him a slight smile, as she gently squeezed his back. And they all watched for a short time longer even after the speeders were gone from view.

XXXX

The wind through his hair, the feeling of his loose floof whipping at his forehead; the rush of air against his skin. Only if he were wearing his loose shirt and jacket, would this moment be more perfect. Keith blasted by him, and he revved the speeder faster after him. Overtaking him once more, he jumped the gap to the same parallel path and around toward the emerging cliff.

"There's not enough space for both of us to go!" Shiro called over his shoulder, in a teasing manner. "You might as well give up!"

"Not gonna happen!" Keith called back humorously, speeding up again. Keith tensed his wrist, and wrenched his elbow, to tilt the speeder back. After a second the thrusters fired and launched him into the air, right over Shiro, as he went over the edge. Shiro looked up, everything seeming to move in slow-motion; as he watched Keith fly right over top of him. And somehow performed the same landing trick flawlessly as he did, landing right in front of him. Keith went on, but Shiro had to pull up short to avoid hitting him. Shiro stared after him in shock for a few seconds, before pressing his speeder quickly after him.

XXXX

Shiro finally caught up to Keith; pulling up next to him, right as the Red Paladin was removing his helmet from his head.

"Alright, you got me this time, Keith." Shiro admitted in a jokingly sheepish tone. "But I'll get you next time."

"I don't doubt it." Keith smirked, shooting him another knowing grin. Shiro then looked up at the odd rock formations stationed all around them.

"Where are we?" He asked finally, studying them carefully to try and comb his memory for anything familiar about this place. Keith hopped off his speeder and strode to the edge of the ridge.

"The last place we were before Team Voltron." Keith stated, looking down from where he stood; as Shiro came alongside him. Following his gaze, he found the familiar dark shape far down the noticeably recognizable and rocky path; looking down to see the scuff marks on the ground beneath their feet. He looked up just in time to follow Keith down the path, staying close behind him the whole way. The mouth of the cave swallowed them in darkness as they entered; the sound of silence and water droplets indicating no signs of life at all. The chill of the underground nipped at their skin, the deeper they chose to go. The two walked in silence for a short while until, Keith suddenly stopped short; extending an arm out to stop Shiro as well. The Black Paladin froze at the feeling of Keith's arm across his chest, when the Red Paladin activated his gauntlet light; revealing the hole with which they'd fallen into all that time ago. They exchanged glances before Keith hopped down it, Shiro not far behind as they surfed their way to the bottom. Shiro bent his knees at the bottom to stop himself smoothly and to prevent himself from losing his balance. He straightened up again immediately and followed after Keith; who was already heading towards the large patch of light brought in by the enormous skylight that remained the aftermath of their last visit to this place. Debris lay everywhere; plainly due to the smashing of the roof that freed the Blue Lion from its stoned-in safeguard.

"This place looks so different." Shiro breathed slowly.

"Yeah,.. I know." Keith agreed simply, looking around some more. He headed off to Shiro's right, and the admiral just stood there to watch him for a second; before glancing off to his left. He noticed a strange shape and curiosity overcame him; so he began an approach. Noticing an odd consistency in the wall he gently brushed a hand to it, removing dust that revealed what looked like a panel. Suddenly a faint glowing light the size of a pea lit up, and fine veins of this same green light subtly snaked along a strange pattern on the wall. Shiro's eyes followed it all around to a point on the wall about ninety or so degrees from where he stood; when two red lights like eyes appeared in their place.

"*gasp* Keith, watch out!" Shiro cried, racing forward as the ground began to shake; due to the eyes' movement.

XXXX

The whole garrison shook and a growl rang out.

"What the heck was that?!" Lance cried, increasingly concerned as he spoke.

"It sounds like the lions." Pidge realized, taking off for the stairs to get off their perch; the team soon following.

_XXXX_

Reaching the above-ground opening to the hanger, Sam signaled for someone to open the doors. The large doors slowly began to open, but as soon as they were the Black and Red lions blasted out of it and headed off toward the open range.

"Where are they going?!" Allura cried in shock. Pidge's eyes wandered, as did the others'. Then a terrifying thought hit them.

"Keith and Shiro!" Pidge exclaimed looking to the rest of the team. Kimberly's heart skipping a beat at what could be going on.

XXXX

Shiro knocked Keith out of the way just in time, as a clawed foot smashed down where they had once been. The two shifted themselves up to their iconic one-legged kneel, exchanging glances to check if the other was alright. But before they could ask, they looked up and had to split ways; as another blow came down to smash them. When they had recovered again, Keith took out his bayard and materialized his sword. Shiro reached for his bayard and received a blow that sent him back against the far wall; making him drop it.

"Shiro!" Keith called, racing forward to help. The claws of the creature swung at him when it turned around and Keith instinctively ducked away from it each time. Unfortunately the robotic creature managed to nail a blow slamming Keith to the ground. Shiro, knelt where he was, focused hard and suddenly summoned his bayard to his hand once again. Materializing his weapon, he shot the cable up toward the ceiling firmly grabbing a hold; then used it to swing over to bash the creature away from Keith using his own weight. Landing between Keith and the creature Shiro, slammed his forearms together to split his weapon to both hands. Keith began to shakily push himself up, as Shiro engaged the metal menace. Catching it's claws in an '_X'_ pattern with his weapons he held it back from Keith as best he could; though as it weighed harder on him, it became more and more difficult to do so. Keith caught on to this, and made his way through the shadows till he was right behind it. He threw his sword with all his might and pierced the metal hide of the creature; who shot a clawed cable back at him. It caught Keith's arm, who even heard and felt a crunch that began a fiery, red pain within his entire arm; as he was then pulled forward and thrown against the opposite wall. Shiro plunged his blades into the creature and attempted to finish the blow, but the creature's claw caught his arm and lifted him up above its head. Shiro fired his jet pack up and the claw released him, so Shiro raised his blades again. This time, though, it grabbed his left leg and used it to bash him around, like he were a rag doll. At that moment a growling roar rang out and the rocks above scattered, as the Red and Black lions arrived. They stood over their Paladins for cover, as the spotlight now shone only on the dome-headed robot. The creature then stepped down to shape-shift into a lion-like figure and jetted off out the hole in the ceiling; the three other lions hovering there to receive.

"Guys, we got incoming!" Lance called.

"Fire lasers and destroy that thing!!" Pidge called. And with that, the three lions opened their mouths and breathed their laser breath on the surging robot and destroyed it with an enormous _BANG!!_

**Hey what's up everybody!! Been a while since I've posted; I know. But I'm here now and here's the next chapter! Been super, insanely busy lately. And haven't had as much time to write, but again, I hope I can do better about finishing the next chapter for you guys soon. Enjoy!! Thx!!!**


	8. A Question Without Answers

Chapter eight: A Question Without Answers

Keith hauled himself up to his knees; as best he could with one arm. The pain that stung at his other one encouraged a hand to come to its aid; as if it could do anything to help. He coughed dryly and looked up. Shiro lay flat on his back, near the other side of the room; his white floof laying back away from his face.

"Shiro!" Keith gasped. Immediately thrusting himself up, he caught his foot, stumbled, and hit the ground on his hurt arm once again. Stumbling up on his second attempt, he managed to stagger over to Shiro; as his dry cough finally rang out in the empty air.

"I'm alright.." Shiro breathed, pulling himself upright. "Are you?"

"I think so." Keith replied, still subconsciously holding his arm. Keith offered Shiro his hand, and the admiral took it. But no sooner had he begun to pull himself up, did an incredible pain power up his leg and he grimaced hard lowering himself down again.

"Shiro?!" Keith dropped to one knee, bumping his elbow on his leg shooting pain up it once again as well. After a grimace of his own, he looked down to notice the slightly awkward position of Shiro's leg starting at the knee. Shiro breathed carefully, as though even breathing could cause him more pain.

"Keith! Shiro!" Pidge's voice fuzzed in on their com links. "Are you guys.. alright?"

"We're fine…" Keith responded looking up into the invisible distance.

"What _was_ that thing?" Pidge went on, still a bit shaken up by what had just happened.

"I don't know, but its destroyed now." Lance replied simply. "Are you guys ok? What happened?"

"I'm not exactly sure.." Keith returned earnestly. "That robot thing attacked us while we were exploring the Blue Lion's old cave."

"How was there a robot in the Blue Lion's cave?" Allura wondered peering over Lance's shoulder.

"I don't know.." Shiro returned slowly. "But I think it was placed here for a reason."

"I think we need to bring that thing back to the Garrison to analyze it." Hunk suggested. "Maybe we can find out where it came from."

"Sounds like a good idea." Shiro agreed. "Let's get it back to the Garrison; I'll call ahead for Sam to have a place ready for it." The team could hear him begin to get up again; but another grimace seemed to follow and he went down again.

"Shiro.. a..are you alright?" Lance asked worriedly, unable to see either of them from where they were.

"..I'm fine.." Shiro breathed in return.

"No, you're not.." Keith's voice countered. He too grimaced, when trying to help Shiro; having to stop when his arm fired at his flesh once again. "Guys, I think Shiro's knee is dislocated, and I can't move my arm.. We need back up." Suddenly the Black Lion's purring growl rumbled the air and it lowered its head to them; opening its mouth for them just inches away. Keith and Shiro stared at it for a moment then looked at one another. Keith shifted himself around to kneel at Shiro left side; putting his right arm around him. Shiro wrapped his left arm over Keith's shoulder and they both worked together to stand. Making their way slowly, they reached the lion. And when they had gotten aboard, the lion took off; the Red Lion not far behind.

"Let's get back to the Garrison.." Shiro instructed. "We'll come back for the speeders later, the Black Lion is helping us get back."

"Roger that, Hunk come help me with the robot." Lance called, jetting Blue down to the decapitated mech on the ground.

"Got it!" The Yellow Paladin called, gliding down after him; while the other lions headed after Red and Black.

_XXXX_

The above-ground hanger doors slid open, and Sam and Kimberly rushed out as the lions all landed; lowering their heads to produce their paladins. The Blue and Yellow Lions carefully set the remains of the strange creature down, before landing themselves; the synged metal from the explosion obscuring any defining features that might have stood out otherwise. Keith and Shiro stood at the door when the Black Lion's jaws parted, and they stiffly made their way out together; Shiro unable to bear any weight on his left leg.

"Thank goodness." Sam gasped; relief washing over him at seeing them. "Now what happened out there?"

"We're not sure." Shiro told him simply. "But somehow the Blue Lion's old cave was rigged with a robot to attack anyone who entered… which ended up being us." Sam noticed the odd position of Shiro's leg immediately when he looked down, and the way Keith was holding his arm.

"We need to take care of these right away." The commander concluded definitively. "But first we need to get Shiro off of that leg." He turned and nodded, and two Garrison officers approached with a hovering transport. Helping Shiro up onto it, Keith sat down beside him; and they set off for the med. bay once again.

_XXXX_

Shiro grimaced as his knee was twisted back into joint, with a loud pop. Taking a deep breath, he laid his head back as the pain slowly began to subside.

"We'll need to keep this on your leg for a while till it heals properly." Sam told him, as he slipped a large black brace under his leg, with aiding the med. techs.; and began to attach the straps to hold it in place. The brace was all black and only made a cage-like support down his leg. Only the straps on the top and bottom, and just below and above the knee, reached across with padding under it for extra support. You can take it off whenever is necessary, and you don't need it to sleep; but I would advise you try to stay off it as best you can." Sam finished, setting the bed up to a higher setting.

"I'll try to remember that." Shiro complied willingly; only slightly sarcastic about it.

Suddenly Keith entered the room once again, followed by Lance, Allura, and Pidge; his arm wrapped up from his wrist all the way up, almost to his shoulder. His arm had also been placed in a sling which hung tightly from his neck.

"And as for you, Keith.." Sam began again, turning to him as he entered. "It appears your arm was fractured in three places; you'll need time to recover, too."

"Ok,.. thanks, Sam." Keith replied with a small smile, then turned to Shiro again. "How's the leg?" He asked, placing his free hand on Shiro's shoulder.

"*light groan* Not too bad." Shiro responded gingerly, not even daring to move it. "How'bout you?"

"I'll be fine." Keith reassured him tenderly. "We'll both just be healing for awhile."

"Takashi Shirogane." Everyone looked up toward the stern voice, to find Julianne standing in the doorway amongst Kimberly and her family(which was really only her parents, brother and sister). "What are we gonna do with you?" His aunt went on with a slight shake of her head, hands on her hips. dropping them to her sides, she began an approach. "First your heart struggles with stress and now this? When will it end?" She wondered.

"It's no one's fault." Shiro defended innocently. "Things just happen. And we did what we needed to do to handle the situation as best he could. Let's just be glad we made it out of there alive."

"By the skin of your scarred nose." Julieanne returned sharply. "But that's only because you're a well seasoned fighter; and you had Keith for back up."

"Look I know this is hard for you, but you're not the only-"

"Don't try to talk your way around this!" Julieanne snapped, hurtfully glaring at him with glassy eyes. "You don't know what it's like to raise a child for years; to care for them for the most crucial time of their life, for them to suddenly grow up and disappear without a trace for a year then staying away for five more!!" She almost seemed unaware of what Shiro was doing, her mind not registering his struggle to get up and come to her; with the aid of the crutches that Pidge and Sam subtly pressed into his hands. "You left without saying goodbye, and when you suddenly disappeared with Sam and Matt, I feared I'd never see you again; especially after they declared you dead! I promised that I'd take care of you!" She struck her fists against Shiro's chest. "I was supposed to protect you! I promised!.. I.. I promise your father…. I promised you me mother.. I..I.." She hit Shiro repeatedly, as she spoke beating her anger into him; as though he were anything but human. Though most everyone seemed concerned or alarmed by this, Shiro remained as calm as ever. He took her arms at the elbows, so they rested against his arms up toward his shoulders so she couldn't hit him anymore. Leaning in ever so slightly, she gave in to his touch and broke down bawling against his chest; as he wrapped his arms around her in a firm hug. Her pitiful cries were muffled by his shirt; as her arms slowly slid up around to the back of his shoulders; and she clutched at him in her mournful sobs.

"I didn't say goodbye because I wasn't thinking straight.." Shiro grievously admitted. Which made her stop to think about this for a moment, before resuming her crying fit once more. "After my falling out with Adam I couldn't think quite as clearly.." Shiro's eyes glazed. "I couldn't think straight enough to remember what I would still have when I got back again." A tear finally slipped down his cheek, as another soon followed from the other eye. His brows furrowed together. "I'm so sorry!" He breathed regretfully. By now her sobs had quieted, and her body no longer jerked from the uncontrollable action. Instead her left ear was now pressed to Shiro's chest, and she could hear his heart thumping ever so steadily inside. The feeling of his embrace comforted her, and his words penetrated her ailing soul.

"I know it's not your fault." She said finally lifting her head to brushing a tear away with her finger; meeting his gaze finally, as they broke apart again. "But in my mind you're still that swweet, innocent, and helpless child that I took in all those years ago when your mother disappeared."

"I know what you mean." Shiro replied. "And we're all suffering just like you. But I can't imagine how hard it was for you to deal with alone while I was gone. But I promise you; I didn't stay away by choice. If things were different, I would have come back. I know I can't take back what happened the day I launched for Kerberos; but I hope at some point you can forgive me."

"I already have.." Julieanne returned with a slight smile. "My heart just hasn't quite caught up yet." Shiro developed a small smile of his own, as they briefly hugged once more. Kimberly came up next to him to place her hands on his arm to exchange a quick kiss with him, before gently leaning her head against his shoulder; so not to ruin his balance any more than it already was.

"Thank heavens you're alright!" Evelyn cried coming in closer.

"What did _that_?" Zachery wondered, hinting at his leg.

"I'm not sure." Shiro admitted unfortunately. "Some robot that was planted in the Blue Lion of Voltron's cave. It's like-.. whoever put it there knew someone would go there at some point."

"But who would know where the Blue Lion's cave is anyway?" Pidge wonder looking up from a thoughtful stare at the floor. "Only _we_ know where it is."

"Not after it was busted out of it." Sam corrected. "When you kids found the Blue Lion and freed it from the cave, Commander Iverson sent a team to discover the location of where it came from. I heard that they found the cave. And did some research on it. But when they found nothing of real importance or interest.. they left it and decided to keep people away from it; for fear or the structural integrity of the cave being too heavily compromised by the Blue Lion's escape."

"So then _anyone_ in the Garrison would know about it." Pidge corrected herself.

"That's great.." Lance began slowly with an awful flatness in his demeanor. "Other than the fact that that makes our problem even bigger. Finding out who built that robot, would be like finding a needle in a haystack."

"Why would you be searching for a needle?" Allura asked innocently.

"And what's a haystack?" Coran added unknowingly.

"It's just an expression." Lance explained simply, crossing his arms loosely. "It means this isn't gonna be as easy as we would like it to be."

"But since when has _anything_ been easy for us?" Pidge wondered aloud despite already knowing the answer.

"Well I guess all we can do, now, is start to narrow it down." Keith decided thoughtfully, already ahead of them in his mind.

**Hey guys!! Finally got a new chapter! I'm soo excited for this chapter because I know what all is gonna come next after it!! But also because I can't wait to hear your thoughts on it!!!**

**Also, a quick update(and this be added to my profile soon I hope), I am now on WattPad and I just published the intro for an original story if anyone is interested in fasntasy style stories. You can look me up as Venus DeMilo or VenusDemiloShiro love either way I should come up. So you can go check that out if you desire so. **

**Anyway enjoy this new chapter!! And I'll see you next time!! Thx!!!**


	9. Covering The Bases

Chapter nine: Covering The Bases

"Ok, the Garrison database contains files on all its personnel." Sam explained, as the screen of the conference room lit up with the ocean of faces that made up the Garrison staff board. "And with this special organizational program that Pidge created; we can use it to narrow down our suspects, who could be responsible for the robot." Shiro and the panel of leadership, along with Kimberly and the team, sat thoughtfully staring at the screen. Shiro stared blankly as he thought, his elbows rested on the table in front of him as he stared straight up at the work that was cut out for them. His hands made a fist in front of his lips, as he listened to Sam's words and ran the thoughts of his mind through over and over again.

"We should probably go one unit at a time. To help us keep track of our progress." Keith suggested finally, yanking Shiro from his thoughts.

"I'll also have a team keep track as well." Sam agreed. "And once we've started to really boil down the options, I suggest we bring our people in for questioning. But only to gather any information, not to force a confession. We wanna know who created this thing and why. And anyone involved could also help us begin to root out this mystery, once and for all."

"So we can finally focus more on our wedding and not on Shiro's safety." Kimberly put in.

"I'm not worried about myself.." Shiro spoke up coming out of thought once more. "I'm more worried about what this person plans to do to _others_ in order to get to me. And that includes you." He gestured to Kimberly in saying this; his concerned eyes seeking her out intentionally.

"I'm still not backing down." She told him determinedly. "I'm not letting some maniac ruin our life together."

"Neither am I, but until we figure out who it is and stop them; we need to take _every_ precaution possible, in order for us _both_ to be safe."

"I agree." Sam concurred. "From now on Shiro, Kimberly.." He looked to both of them as he addressed them in turn. "You and your families must stay on Garrison grounds at all times where surveillance is heavily monitored." He turned to Shiro again. "And Shiro; your leg injury makes even more of a target, we'll need to keep you on constant watch so no one can make a direct attempt on you… for any reason."

"Alright.. We've got our plan, let's start putting it into motion." Shiro announced and they turned their attention to the screen once more, as Sam began with the first unit…

_XXXX_

"I know them, they can't be involved." Keith called out, when the next face came up. Pidge tapped the button and the image was replaced with a new one.

"Not high enough of a rank to be involved." Another commander noted. Shiro glanced over at the clock and saw the time.

"We should take a break.." He said. "We've been at this for hours." He stood carefully with the aid of the table in front of him; taking a hold of the crutches to his right. "Everyone get some rest and we'll pick this up tomorrow." The group exchanged glances before slowly rising and begin to collect their things. Keith stepped up next to Shiro, so that he stood just behind his right shoulder.

"You ok, Shiro?" He asked, and Shiro turned toward him at the sound of his voice.

"I just don't want anyone burning themselves out, for my sake." Shiro told him simply. "Everyone needs to stay fully rested, especially now, with all the threats going around."

"Those threats don't really _affect_ anyone else." Keith reasoned, gesturing his free hand up in a small shrug.

"Except for it does." Shiro countered gently. "If someone is out to hurt me, their doing it through those close to me… or anyone that is under me… They're attacking any aspect of my life they can, and are constantly getting away with it."

"Don't worry.. we'll find whoever is doing this." Keith assured him, placing a hand on Shiro's shoulder. "And we'll finally put an end to this."

"Hmh, I hope you're right." Shiro sighed with a very light chuckle, one that contained more of a sarcastic tone of doubt rather than humor. Shiro glanced to the side as Hunk began to head for the door.

"Hey Hunk." Shiro's voice stopped him to look up immediately. "I want you and Pidge to help the technician crew down in the hanger, with the analysis on that robot that attacked us today. Maybe you guys can help uncover some things about it, to somehow find clues that can help us figure out who's behind all this."

"Can do. Pidge and I'll stop down to join them first thing tomorrow morning." Hunk complied with a nod.

"Great, thanks." Shiro beamed.

"No problem." The Yellow Paladin nodded again, then headed for the door once again. Kimberly strode up and hugged her arms around him, along his lower chest; laying her head against him gently.

"You ok?" She asked him tenderly.

"I'll be fine.." He softly returned. "Once this is all over."

"I know, this whole situation sucks. But I'm proud of how well you've been handling it." She told him.

"I've been doing my best to stay focused on the task at hand, but I gotta say it hasn't been easy." Shiro had to admit rather sheepishly. "I can't let this ruin my sanity any worse than it already has been." She shifted her head slightly to look at him with a curious expression. "My time as a prisoner of the Galra, and then being in the infinite void of the Black Lion nearly drove me to the breaking point; so I can't allow something like this to drive me over that edge once more." Shiro answered her unasked question.

"Hey, no one blames you." Kimberly assured him. "This is a stressful situation. We know you're doing your best; but we also know that you're struggling. And we're ready to stand up and fight with you.. till the end."

"Hm." Shiro lightly chuckled. "Well I hope we can put an end to this soon." He said, hopefulness being the root of his tone.

"Hopefully _my_ wedding shower tomorrow and _your_ bachelor party next week will help distract you from the chaos;.." His bride-to-be implied. "For a little while anyway."

"Well.. in hope you're right." He said, half chuckling once more. Then they wrapped one another in a hug, Kimberly's head momentarily resting on his chest as they shared the tender, sideways, embrace. Then Shiro took up his crutches and they both left the room… together.

_XXXX_

"I'm just.. really worried about him.. ya know?" Kimberly imparted to her mother, as she stirred together the ingredients of the sparkling, purple, wedding shower punch, that she had churning in the large bowl on the table in front of her.

"Oh.. I know, dear." Evelyn replied understandingly. "But.. Sam and the Garrison officials are handling it. And soon we will find out what cruel monster is responsible for all this, and finally put a stop to his efforts… So you two can enjoy the start of your life together in peace." She poured her daughter a cup and handed it to her, to which the distracted bride-to-be subconsciously took from her; holding it rather listlessly in her grasp.

"But I fear, it may be messing with his head too much.. if that's at all possible." She lowered her gaze in despair, as she finished this statement; a heavy blanket of sorrow for her soon-to-be husband fell upon her, almost dragging her toward the ground if she'd let it.

"Kimmie.. we all know that Shiro had been broken from his experiences.." Evelyn continued quite intuitively. "And you may not be able to fix him…" Her earnest eyes stared into her daughter's. "All you can do is try to keep him on the right track.. as best you can. And be there for him on the days when he comes off the rails.. cause I'm sure he'll have those days. And above all else… to love him unconditionally.. even on his worst days.. so he can continue to love and cherish you back."

"Now _that_, I can promise to _try_ my best at." Kimberly assured her mother, her expression lifting a bit.

"Good.. then that's all you need." Evelyn finished with a satisfied nod. "As long as you never give up on him… everything will be fine."

"I really hope it's that simple." Kimberly remarked hopefully, a hint of doubt still poking through her earnest tone.

"I'm sure things'll work themselves out eventually." Evelyn smiled, setting a cup for herself down on the table to dry her hand off on her apron. "Now come on.. it is time to stop worrying and start enjoying what this beautiful day has to offer." She gestured to the arriving guests as she said this, an uplifting sense of happiness flowing into her at this sight. Spotting a familiar face, she immediately left her mother to approach the former princess of Altea and Red Paladin of Voltron.

"Allura! Lance! How wonderful to see you again." Kimberly greeted sweetly, leaning in for a friendly hug with Allura; Lance looking on in a proud smile.

"It is wonderful to see _you_ again as well." Allura returned meaningfully, grasping Kimberly's hands tenderly in hers.

"You sure you'll be ok now?" Lance asked when the empress turned his way.

"Of course.." Allura responded thankfully. "Thank you for seeing me this far, but.. I know I'll be fine now. I'll see you when you return later, when this is over." Lance stepped forward to deliver a kiss to her cheek, and strode off toward his lion a fair distance down the hill, and the two girls watched him fly away again.

"So.. any word on the project?" Kimberly wondered slowly, peering at the Altean Empress from the corner of her eye.

"None so far." Allura sighed unfortunately dropping her gaze, then turning to face Kimberly. "And Shiro's been rather difficult to pin down lately; even while under constant protective watch."

"He can't get around _that_ well." Kimberly reasoned with a slight shrug. "At least not after his dislocation."

"Perhaps.." Allura noted thoughtfully, her eyes settling on the ground once more. "But it seems even when we _do_ find him he seems.. distracted… Like he's so in his own mind that.. anything else doesn't seem to go through to him."

"Believe me, I know what you mean." Kimberly assured her. "But I think once this whole mystery has been rooted out and eradicated, he'll be able to focus again."

"And let us hope it is that simple." The former princess replied determinedly.

"What do you mean?" Kimberly wondered with purposeful questioning. Allura shifted her position towards her once more.

"Shiro's journey as paladin hasn't been an easy one…" She explained diligently. "Especially after all he had endured, by the hands of the Galra… His struggle has placed an uphill battle before him.. and he's lost his footing many times I'm sure. No doubt he has come a long way.. but he does tend to slide back a bit in stressful times… though he's always remained patient and aware of his own problems, as well as ones that affect the bigger picture. It may be just _one_ of the things that has made him.. the best leader I've ever encountered; other than my father and the Paladins of Old."

"I admit I've seen some of Shiro's demons come back to attack him.. but never like this.." Kimberly sighed. "I know I haven't seen him in years.. but.. he can't have changed _that_ much… right?"

"If only you knew.." The Empress returned with a sigh of her own. The looked up as more guests began to arrive.

"We should.. discuss this later." Kimberly remarked, turning to Allura tentatively.

"Agreed." Allura replied, turning to her squarely. "We should keep this in mind and continue to be there for him.. no matter what."

"But for now…" Pidge put in easing in between them. "We can have some fun!" She announced, handing them a second cup of punch each. The party well under way, as the music began to play.

_XXXX_

_Shiro and Kimberly stood back to back in an abyss of bluish space. The only thing that seemed to separate them, was several feet of empty, starry space and a warbling wall that fluctuated like a wall of water. Neither one realized the other's presence.. whether because they couldn't see one another.. or because they did, in fact, exist in two separate plains that operated simultaneously. Each of them glanced one way then the other, as if searching for something.. Suddenly a sound rippled in and out in echoes that didn't seem at all random; but at the same time sent chills down their spine. The sound had a character it seemed.. sinister and pleasureful… a laugh? More like a cackle. Kimberly's breath caught in her chest.. Shiro's heart seathed.. either way they knew something wasn't right here._

_"Where are you.." Shiro demanded, stepping about in a semi panic. "Show yourself!" Two eyes appeared to stare at him, looking much like that of the creature's._

_Wayde's smile fluctuated to a darkened shadow of nothing before Kimberly's eyes, the indistinct cackling continuing._

_"What.. what is this?" She breathed taking a step back anxiously; as if preparing to run._

_"Your worst nightmare.." A completely black figure statically sneered, stalking toward each of them in unknowing sync. Jaws opened and the stranger lurched forward to swallow them in darkness…_

And in their separation, they both jumped upright in a panicked gasp… seemingly at the same exact moment. Almost feeling the other's physical response to the same dream, which neither one of them knew existed to the other…

**Hey guys, how's it going!! Been a while since I've added to this story, I'll admit, but I hope it was well worth the wait! Thx!!!**


	10. Loose Ends

Chapter ten: Loose Ends

"I don't know what's worse.." Shiro stated, as Hunk and Lance prepared to jump into the waiting pool. "Not knowing what's coming or only having an inkling of it." He finished rather distantly.

"Why? Do you know something that we don't?" Keith wondered picking up on his tone and overall demeanor. He sat down next to Shiro, also facing the clear blue water of the pool, which resided at the center of the bachelor pad that Hunk and Lance hand _insisted_ on renting for their _bachelor_ party.

"I hardly think so." Shiro returned certainly, his eyes still cast out to the ever-moving waters. "I just have this feeling like.. I know something, but.. can't- quite figure out what it is. Ya know?" Shiro's lost eyes landed on Keith now, further summing up his words.

"I'm trying to." The Red Paladin admitted. His eyes then dropped to Shiro's leg, as he gingerly shifted it slightly for comfort. "So how've you been holding up?.." He wondered lifting his eyes again. "I'm guessing that getting around hasn't been quite as easy lately."

"It's been going ok." Shiro answered with a gasping sigh, trying to give off the illusion of ease, as he leaned back on the chair. "How about you? I'd think you're in worse shape than me… and worse off given the situation."

"Between my arm and your leg we've got a lot of catching up to do." Keith replied loosely, earning him a chuckle.

"I suppose you're right." Shiro smirked, clearly in thought.

"So what do you feel you know?" Keith wondered, seeing the intenseness of his warring mind.

"Not sure." Shiro admitted, shaking his head. "That's.. kinda the problem. I can't quite place it, but I feel like I have this.. inkling of who it could be or.. _what_ it could be that's causing all this, but-.. it feels like a thought that's.. beyond my reach."

"Maybe there's more to this than we're seeing." Keith guessed thoughtfully his eyes dropping down, then lifting up to him once again.. "Something that's.. missing."

"I know but.." Shiro's mind seemed to abruptly wander off, as his mind's eye saw the darkened shape of someone who's heart burned with a fiery vengeance, he could instantly feel pound into his own. _The shadow of a being turned it's white-eyed glare on him to face him from a side view, which made him brace for an attack to come whipping around toward him. But all that came up at him was a flashing whoosh of light!_

Shiro grimaced coming out of it, almost feeling it through his leg like some kind of psychic connection activating through it; which he instinctively touched a hand to.

"Shiro!" Keith, Lance and Hunk(both now sitting at Shiro's right side) lurched forward.

"*groan* I'm fine." Shiro vocalized, relaxing back once more, with a heavy sigh. "The guards that always stand guard around me, now, haven't seemed to bother me much." He went on rather normally. "It's almost become normal to need additional protection.. and it's hardly been a thing. We only recently made it a mandatory thing, because of all the threats made against me."

"And it'll stay that way until we stop them." Keith reiterated. "We'll stop whoever's doing this to you, and make sure that can never threaten to hurt you ever again."

"It's not like I couldn't handle myself in a fight.." Shiro ventured distraughtly. "I just hope we can _avoid_ a fight if at _all_ possible."

"We all do." Lance agreed earnestly.

"Yeah.. but something isn't adding up with that crazy robot.. lion.. thingy that attacked you two in the Blue Lion's cave." Hunk thought aloud. "That thing is clearly made with multiple forms of science, unlike anything I've ever seen before; even from our time in space."

"So.. could it mean we're dealing with some ancient alien tech genius then?" Lance supposed.

"But then why would they wanna hurt Shiro?" Keith wondered loosely.

"Well Allura said that Shiro being at the center of the Galactic Coalition would make him a bigger target to attack right?" Hunk countered thoughtfully. "Maybe some dark alien mastermind is deciding to threaten Shiro's life as a way to break down the coalition we've built."

"But then why wouldn't they go after the rest of us?" Keith questioned further.. finding himself just a _little_ intrigued by the Yellow Paladin's train of thought. "This guy seems to be someone out to hurt Shiro directly."

"Or maybe they're just biding their time to strike the rest of us once Shiro's down?" Lance hypothesized a bit bluntly, arms crossed in frustration of the thought.

"They must think that taking out Shiro, is their way of tearing the rest of us down." Keith guessed

"But then why wouldn't they just come get me?" Shiro put in. "This seems all to personal the way their going about it. It's like they know precisely where to strike. And they pull the punches exactly where they know it's gonna hurt."

"We'll figure this out, Shiro." Keith assured him again, then placed a hand on his shoulder. "I promise."

_XXXX_

"This creature is incredible." Hunk commented as they all rode down the tall elevator into the underground hanger. "It's built with materials we've never seen before… like _ever_. Even the aliens we have helping us work on it have been amazed by it.

"So what's so _amazing_ about this robot anyway?" Keith asked turning to his fellow Paladin.

"Well the metal _alone_ is a brilliantly melded combination of both alien and earth technology.." Hunk explained in vibrant detail. "So someone definitely has an understanding of alien technology in order to do this kind of thing."

"But who on earth would know? Until the Galra attacked and we returned to stop them,.. no one even really _knew_ that aliens existed." Keith recalled.

"Actually that's not exactly true." Sam spoke up matter-of-factly, turning his glance in Keith's direction. The elevator slowed to a stop as it touched down to the desired level and the doors parted, and they made their way out across to the looming object at the center of the room.. "After Shiro crashed down on Earth, after the entire year since the three of us went missing on the Kerberos mission; the Garrison recovered the destroyed ship and kept it in the hanger for research purposes. And when I returned a few years later.. I instructed the scientific teams on how to meld our technologies with those of the Altean and Galra crafts we'd obtained from Shiro's crash and mine more recently up until that point."

"All the alien tech we've recovered since then.. has been used to create ships to improve our planet's military and defense systems; should ever another attack would occur." Veronica reported, as she they were now standing with her amongst the recovery teams bustling about their work. "This mech is no different.." She went on, staring at the creature; then turning her glance toward them. "But at the same time.. it's _completely_ different."

"How so?" Shiro wondered openly, noting the troubled tone of her voice, and the strange look in her eyes.

"Not entirely sure.." Veronica admitted. "But this metal alloid is like nothing I've ever seen… It's a combination of multiple alien tech metals along with our own.. and the ship itself appears to be emitting something.. but it's not radiation." Pidge stood in just the right place for Shiro to see her eyes light up with the coming of some form of epiphany.

"You thinking what I think your thinking?" He asked shooting her a curiously knowing look.

"Maybe.." The Green Paladin replied granting him her brief glance. Approaching the ship and firing her jetpack, she carefully climbed up the creature to its dented back. Then scanned her gauntlet around for a bit, before coming back down; firing her jetpack again to slow her descent to the floor once more. "It's quintessence.." She said finally. "Gotta be."

"But then whoever made this thing must've had some kind of understanding as to how it works.. someone who knows the right ways to utilize quintessence in order to make this happen. And they must've figured it out a while ago. Cause from the look of it.. this robot has been hidden in there for quite awhile."

"Soo that means it _still_ could be anyone." Keith vocalized.. clearly becoming increasingly exasperated by the lack of answers.

"Unfortunately yes.." Hunk sighed. "This is just starting to look like loose ends to me."

"Yeah, they're loose ends alright.." Lance scoffed bluntly, crossing his arms. "So loose they're almost not even there."

"Is there _any_ good news to all this?" Shiro wondered offly, strongly hoping there was.

"Just that it _might_ narrow down our search…" Hunk answered lightly.

"And that's the _only_ good news?" Lance questioned, holding his same posture.

"For now.. it is." Veronica sighed, holding her tech pad delicately in her grasp.

"So.. is there anything _else_ we've discovered about it.. other than the metal it's made from?" Keith wondered, beginning a conversation after a short pause.

"Not sure yet.. I think we've established that the…" Pidge's voice seemed drown out by an indistinct call. Could've been a voice.. could've been a ringing.. could've just been a feeling.. Either way Shiro felt drawn forward.. as though some energy magnetically pulled him toward the creature. He placed a hand to its ravaged head; and in the moment, as if on command, the laser red eyes sparked to life. Everyone jumped back, as the creature in its lion form began an attempt to get up. It seemed to have lost the strength to do this however.. because it began an immediate descent to the ground toward them. Shiro stepped back when noticing its downward direction; then suddenly his right arm glowed and he instinctively swung a punch at the creature's head, creating a blast of light as the crash sounded. When the light died away a second later, Shiro lay at the foot of the lion creature's muzzle lying awkwardly on his right side.. slowly stirring from unconsciousness as they had.

"Shiro!" Keith cried jumping up to be at his friend's side, as he shifted to lay on his back now. "Are you ok?"

"*light groan* yeah.." Shiro breathed in confirmation. Then, looking up, his eyes brightened; and Keith looked up over his own shoulder to see what Shiro did. Standing frozen where he was, a red glow caught his attention immediately. The rest of the team, standing above and behind Shiro, stared blankly with them.. the finding set before them leaving everyone at a loss for words or even action.

"What.. what is it?" Lance wondered, almost surprising himself with finding the words.

"It.. looks like a crystal.." Pidge observed in a low tone. "A red one."

"Never seen anything like it." Sam breathed. He came forward after Hunk and Lance helped Shiro to his feet again, and reached in to grab the crystal; which seemed to shock him, even through his heavily gloved hand.

"Well that's a new one." The Blue Paladin stated, crossing his arms loosely.

"Well maybe if I.." Shiro reached in after Sam stepped back.

"No, Shiro, wait!" Sam insisted quickly, urgency growing as he spoke. But a glassy click sounded and Shiro brought out the red crystal with his prosthetic right hand. And everything breathed a collective sigh of relief and amazement. "I can't believe that your arm is not affected by this _thing's_ energy." Sam went on pacing closer to view it better. "It's giving off an energy signature I've never encountered before." He lifted only his eyes up to Shiro to continue. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, Sam, I-.." Shiro's hand suddenly tensed awkwardly and he dropped the crystal.. the robotic looking extremity stiffly adjusted in odd and inhuman ways; as Shiro tried to regain control of it once again. Successfully ending the strange reaction, he held his trembling hand in a clenched fist; as his other hand clasped it at the wrist as it subtly twitched.

"We need to be careful, Shiro." Sam informed him seriously. "This crystal appears to be affecting your arm somehow, after all." A technician took out a pair of giant iron tongs, to pick up the red crystal to avoid touching it, and carefully placed it in the containment unit that another tech provided for him. "We'll take some time to study it to see if we can find out where it came from.. and find out where someone could've gotten it. But for now we need to be extremely careful around it. And avoid touching it, until we can determine what dangerous threat it could pose to living tissue… and biomechanics." He glanced to Shiro in finishing his statement.

"I'm fine, Sam." The admiral responded.

"I'll be the judge of that.." Sam returned firmly. "I wanna do a quick eval on you just to be sure."

"And another distraction from all of this.." Keith reasoned, as Sam escorted Shiro back to the elevator. "..Is our team meal tomorrow night on Altea.. you still coming, Shiro?"

"I'm afraid that won't be happening." Sam declined sadly, before the admiral could reply, and as they all filed back into the elevator together.

"Why not, Dad?" Pidge questioned surprisingly.

"Because with Shiro and Keith's accident and then the strange thing with his heart.. I'm not too sure we should be letting him go too far away for the time being." Sam explained simply.

"Ok, then..we'll have it here." Pidge suggested, quite matter-of-factly.

"Oh yeah sure that's a great idea! I'm sure I can whip something up in the kitchen if you don't mind." Hunk offered, looking to Sam. The doors opened and Sam stepped forward to it, pausing before answering.

"It could work.." He said finally, turning back to look at them. "But we'd have to have it in the cafeteria.. somewhere safe."

"Well.. what about one of the conference rooms near the medical bay?" Pidge put in thoughtfully. "That'd be a strategically good spot, right?"

"Actually.. That might not be a bad idea, Pidge." Sam complied surprisingly.

"Sam.. I know you're advocating for my safety.. but.. I don't think this I necessary." Shiro spoke up finally. "I feel fine now.. The stress of everything is still there, but.. we've been doing things that have been helping to keep it down to a manageable level.. I don't see why we should be taking these extra extremes."

"Shiro, you know what your aunt would be saying right now." Sam countered, slightly challenging the younger man.

"_You can never be too careful_.. I know. But.. if I feel fine, there's no reason to be concerned." Shiro responded innocently. Turning into the medical bay, a Garrison nurse looked up to notice their entrance.

**Hello everyone! I'm back with another chapter! Finally! I can add to this story! It's been far too long! Anyway can't wait to hear your thoughts and ill try to do better at getting these chapters written and posted. Enjoy! Thx!**


	11. The Last Chance

Chapter eleven: The Last Chance

"Ok Shiro.. looks good." Sam reported finally, after having finished his evaluation rather smoothly. "Things look good for now.. but the stress of everything, is still having an effect on your heart. And I still want you to have your team meal _here_. There's safety in numbers, you know."

"I told you I was fine.." Shiro spoke up bluntly, his lips bending up slightly. "But I have to agree."

"Hehehe.. of course you don't.. you just do." Sam smirked. "And you know I wouldn't force this upon you if I wasn't concerned for you."

"I know, Sam." Shiro confirmed knowingly. "You're just looking out for me.. as you always have."

"And I know Adam did too." Sam answered tenderly. "I know how close you two were.. shame to think that the last thing you saw of each other was an argument of brotherly love."

"Yeah.." Shiro's gaze dropped. "Too bad.." Keith felt this need grow inside of him,.. a need to bring reassurance. But when he'd open his mouth to speak,.. he found he had no words to say. Perhaps out of fear of making it worse, or merely just not sure what to say that would make him feel any better. A presence seemed to appear that Shiro could practically feel coming to stand in the doorway, cause he looked up to find Veronica standing there; everyone following his gaze to see her too.

"Sir,.." She said, with a haunted look in her eye. "You might want to see this."

"What is it?" Shiro asked, encouraging her to advance. Veronica said nothing.. instead she set a computer.. which he discovered was his own the moment she placed it in his lap; and read the message that was displayed across the screen. As his eyes scanned through the lines of text, his deep grey eyes brightened with a horrified gasp.

"Shiro? What's wrong?" Keith wondered, coming to read the message over his shoulder. But his shock stabbed knives into his skin once he read the message in big bold text, saying:

**"This chance will be your last, Paladin!"**

At this Shiro was yanked back to a moment he'd only relived once.. _the moment Zarkon held him up by his neck.. in preparation to finish him once and for all. But the only difference was that the character that held him in an iron chokehold, wasn't the dreaded Galra Emperor. Yet he couldn't tell the detail of who it was, nor definitively confirm or deny the lingering thought in the back of his mind; whispering in his ear as to who it could be..._

Shiro's head jerked back against the pillow, as though receiving a blow to the face. His breaths gasping a bit, as he nearly dropped the computer; which Pidge quickly took from him so he wouldn't.

"Shiro! What is it?" Keith gasped.

"Takashi!" They looked up to see Kimberly and her family standing there at the doorway; a hand to her horrified face, as she began to draw near. Sitting up onto the bed next to him, the team stepped back to grant them some space.

"I'm alright." Shiro breathed, taking his hand to hers; set across his cheek.

"No, you're _not_." Kimberly insisted. "Not if you're here again."

"Actually this is strictly precautionary." Sam spoke up. "We found a strange red crystal inside that robot lion thing that attacked Keith and Shiro in the Blue Lion's cave. Shiro was able to get it free from whatever was holding it in place.. but it seemed to zap him somehow."

"And how did that affect him?" Kimberly wondered, studying Shiro more closely.

"Hardly at all, as I figured." Sam reported happily. "I just wanted to be sure, given all that has happened recently. At this point.. it's better to be certain, than uncertain."

"Well.. we're definitely glad for that." Evelyn smiled to her husband.

"So what was that just a moment ago?" Lance wondered, turning his, and everyone's, gaze on Shiro.

"I wish I knew." Shiro breathed lightheartedly, closing his eyes solemnly; the memory still fresh to his mind's eye. "These memories.. they-.. they don't seem right.. It's like they're telling me something's gonna happen, but,.. I don't know what."

"Is there anything we can do to stop it?" Kimberly wondered hopefully, hugging a pillow in her grasp just a little tighter to her chest with both arms.

"I don't know.." The admiral admitted. "We don't even know what they plan to do next.. so preventing it will be a challenge. Unless it's already started somehow.."

"What'do you mean?" Keith wondered, trying to follow his train of thought.

"What if that crystal has some kind of secret that we don't yet know?" Shiro supposed, dropping his gaze thoughtfully. "Maybe there's more to it than we're seeing. I don't wanna take any chances with it." He glanced up at him again. "The experimentation _must_ be kept to a minimum _at best_. 'Least until we know more."

"If we ever _do_ know more." Lance countered leaning toward him forwardly. "This whole thing seems to have just one thing we aren't seeing."

"I know.. and I know I have the answers somewhere.. but if I could just.. reach that memory I could.." Shiro's eyes flashed as his mind seemed to be pulled inward to a place of complete darkness…

_A shout echoed from his throat, as he was thrown down into the darkness; hitting the floor with a kind of thud made his ears ring and his head swim. Finding the ability to rise near immediately, he pulled himself up to his feet; finding a certain continuity to this landing. Peering around the darkness within his field of vision, he searched for anything that might indicate his location._

_"You have returned." Haggar's voice echoed. Swearing he could feel her presence behind him, he instinctively lashed out with his right hand; only coming into contact with a purplish wisp. Looking down, he noticed the glow of what was once his Galra installation of an arm, holding his palm open before his eyes in surprise of this change. Looking up to the white of his floof, as if he were to see the black of his own hair return to the rest of it; as it once was. A blow knocked him forward and he staggered to keep his balance._

_"You were a fool to face me!" Zarkon's voice threatened, his form fading like Haggar's magic. Shiro regained his footing, unaware of his disappearance and whipped around to find him; which he only found empty space and a soft light. From this soft light, strode the aged form of Sendak._

_"Just look at your hand…" He said. "It's the strongest part of you." This seemed to set something into motion. Shiro naturally lifted his arm from his side in preparation to attack, but a golden glow drew his eyes down to; it moments before the arm melted down a bit and exploded. Shiro's ears rang, as his eyes slowly blinked open. Pushing himself off his left side, he braced himself up on his left elbow. Out of the corner of his eye, he found the dull grey plating, which had once been the corrupted galra hand. Severed from his body, after that the evil of his clone used it to nearly destroy Keith in their singular battle; which the reinstated Red Paladin bore in a scar. Heavily rising he was met with the stature of purple skin and white hair that stood with a shoulder to him, a yellow eye reaching out to pull him into Lotor's blank stare. A white abyss flowing with beads of energy floated around him about their own business, as Shiro peered round for Lotor; expecting to see him at any moment. A flash occurred above him and with it,.. came the influence of shadow, which landed over the light to immediately quench its fire to darkness once more. Shiro stood ready when Honvera's golden gaze sparked her eyes to life; and only a moment went by before her hands thrust forth a blast, which overcame him in a white light._

_Shiro's eyes opened to the floor, his arms thrusting to his sides, as he looked to where Honvera had been; finding nothing in her place. Realizing his own physical action, he discovered that his arm had returned as the Garrison tech limb that Sam and Allura had built for him. This change now brought to life the change in clothing from his ravaged Voltron armor, to his admiral uniform once again; taking on his current look, white hair and all._

_"You can't escape it." A voice warbled from familiarity said; a figure of darkness standing with their head bowed, indicated by the soft light that originated from somewhere behind them. "You've already doomed yourself." Eyes opened to look at him with this final statement; when a second pair below them, glowing red and lurching forward to swallow him up!.._

_xxxx_

Shiro returned with a breathless cough, finding the ability to breathe again with the adrenaline pulsing through his entire body.

"Shiro.. Shiro!" The Black Paladin finally realized Commander Holt's voice and turned his way; eyes dazed and confused.

"Shiro, you flatlined right in front of us.." Sam told him hurriedly, alarm stamped across his face. "What did you see?" And Shiro stared at him; the whole situation about to be realized…

_XXXX_

"That last voice sounded so familiar.." Shiro commented to finish his story. "But it was too warbled for me to place.." He looked up again. "I think it has something to do with that lion.. and the mystery of its creator… how long was I down?" He asked, turning purposefully to Sam.

"Only a couple minutes.." Sam told him. "But we were beginning to get worried about you."

"I'm sorry.." Shiro apologized. "I don't know what we're gonna do, but we'll think of something. We can't let this drag us down, I'm not going to bend to this person's will.. or.. whoever it is trying to tear me down."

"We're glad to hear it, Shiro." Keith smiled thankfully, his hand finding its way onto the man's shoulder. "So what's the plan?"

"Well we don't yet know what this person intends to do.." Shiro ventured. "So we'll need to maintain.. an _around the clock_ monitoring schedule to keep our perimeters secured from attack. Garrison staff will have to take shifts, simultaneously watching from all angles, in order to keep everyone at the Garrison safe."

"And in the meantime _you_ can rest here for the night." Sam suggested. "I'll be evaluating your knee tomorrow, to see if your brace can come off then. Keith will have to wait another 'couple weeks because of the location and severity of the breaks in his arm."

"Sounds good.. thanks Sam." Shiro nodded.

"I'm staying here.." Kimberly decided. "I'm not going anywhere without you from now on; not with your surprise heart condition."

"I really _do_ feel fine now.." Shiro said, his eyes soft and genuine. "I'll be safe as long as I'm here."

"And I think I have an idea of how we can curve that condition." Sam put in.

_XXXX_

A weight lowered onto Shiro's chest.. but one that was nowhere near crushing him. The small, flat surface of the circular object, now secured to his strange new vest, activated small orange lights around the circumference of the small device.

"This electro-stimulator vest has the ability to electrically bring down.. and maintain a lower heart rate to help you rest easy for a bit." Sam explained. The weight that you feel is normal.. and it may feel heavier once the device starts lowering your heart rate a little. Like I said, it should help you rest a bit more easily tonight;... give you a break from the adrenaline of the whole situation."

"That would definitely be a relief." Kimberly sighed, lowering her gaze to Shiro lying back next to her. Sam tapped a few buttons on the device at the center, and Shiro could feel the slight increase in heaviness still not enough to drown him of his own breath; though the change became evident with his surprised inhale.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Keith wondered, murmuring this to Sam thoughtfully; turning his way.

"Absolutely it has all manual activation prompts and is only supposed to lower the heart rate a little bit." Sam replied matter-of-factly. "Low enough to make a difference, but high enough to be safe." A sigh escaped the admiral, his body relaxing into the steadier beat of his own heart. "And the best part is.. it can't be hacked.. So no one can make an attempt on his life with it."

"That's good to hear.." Kimberly sighed, her eyes still watching Shiro.

"We should,.. give him time to rest.." Sam suggested finally after a seemingly forever long silence. "I'll.. check back later, before I.. we, head home for the night." With this statement, the team filed quietly out..

"Keith." The Red Paladin froze at the door and turned back around. Shiro's glassy grey eyes stared back at him distantly.. "Watch.. Black.." And with the uttering of these words,.. he gave in to sleep. Keith's brow furrowed.

"I will." Then resumed his exit, to leave the room silent with the husband and wife-to-be.

_XXXX_

_Keith's eyes opened to a space like void, when a growl roused his thoughts to life. Staring straight ahead, he found the distant glow of a celestial body he knew; operating as normal, miles from where he floated._

_"The milky way.." He breathed to himself. Four of the five Voltron Lions jetted around him to head toward the distant galaxy, but then once they disappeared from view(red, green, yellow, and blue) inside it's bright glow.. The galaxy burst forth with a darkened figure's face, inside a reformed version of the strange lion robot, blasted toward him from the wreckage of the earthen galaxy. Shiro's unconscious self lay in the background of the figure's face inside the lion, as it opened it's jaws to swallow in him up!.._

_xxxx_

Keith's bluish-grey eyes shot wide.. a gasp almost making him cough, as his black locks slapped his face. _What could this mean? What were they missing?!..._

**Hey guys! Finally back for another chapter! If you're following my story; Hope In Black as well, you might know this already,.. but for those of you who aren't.. I apologize for the spotty absence, but I've been working towards publishing an original story from about two or three years ago. But as of this last Friday.. the manuscript is now completed! Publishing starts as soon as I can get a hold of my publishing consultant and then the process begins. Therefore, during that, I may have more time to write fanfiction, despite working on re-editing another original story that I will be working towards publishing during this new year.**

**This story however, I can tell, is drawing closer to the end(finally). And therefore may be ending soon in a matter of chapters,.. we'll see how long that is though.. And I will reveal that a prequel(if that's the right term) is a planned potential. Meaning I have ideas set in place for a third story to add to the first two,.. but I'm not sure when I'll get to writing it. In any case though,.. it is a thing that is planned to happen at some point.**

**Again,.. I apologize for the long absence, but hopefully it'll be better now that the book I was previously working on is finished in terms of writing. The rest of the process will mainly be done by the company I am going through,.. at least I think it is… Either way whatever happens I'll try to keep chapters coming just the same. Enjoy this new entry and I'll see you guys next time. Thx!**

**side note: in this and all of my stories regarding Shiro and Adam.. I don't consider them a couple.. becasue I do not recognize Shiro to be gay. Therefore Adam is not an ex, but merely a best friend from Shiro's childhood all the way up to the day Shiro left for Kerberos. Sorry to those of you who like Shadam, but that representation is not going to be displayed in ANY of my work. My hope is that you still find the story enjoyable just the same. Thx!***


	12. Cause For Alarm?

Chapter twelve: Cause For Alarm?

"Sure hope Shiro's feelin' better today.." Lance commented, strolling down the hall with his hands shoved into the pockets of his Voltron/Garrison uniform. "The guy really needs a break from all this."

"Yeah.. I don't think even Marie Antoinette Syndrome could add more grey to his hair at this point." Pidge deadpanned, a seriousness slightly drowned out by her sarcasm. Lance and Hunk stopped to look at her.

"What?" Lance inquired.

"You know.. the event where a person's hair turns white or grey from massive or prolonged stress? It's a syndrome commonly seen in people who suffer from PTSD. It might be partially what turned _Shiro's_ hair white."

"Right, but.. we have no way of _ever_ confirming that." Lance returned, turning down the thought.

"Well I think there _is_ a way.. but.. it wouldn't really matter. And plus.. Shiro doesn't seem to care all that much either way." Hunk's babbling was short-lived when a door opened, just barely ahead of them on the left side. Yawning, Keith strode from the other side, entering the hallway to meet them.

"Did.. you just come from the hangers?" Lance asked, looking his former leader up and down curiously.

"Yeah.. couldn't sleep.. needed to be with the Black Lion for Shiro." The reinstated Red Paladin yawned once more, his arm still cradled in the snug sling; leaving him only his left hand to cover his yawn.

"So you stayed up _all_ night in the hanger with the Black Lion?" Pidge wondered, as they resumed walking.

"No.. must've fallen asleep in the hanger." Keith returned, sleep still glazing his eyes over. "Just being there seemed to be enough."

"Well.. I bet he'll be feeling better this morning, at least.." Pidge remarked brightly. "..With that vest my dad made for him. Sure hope it worked." Suddenly the cry of alarms froze them all in their tracks, as they collectively lifted their eyes up.

_XXXX_

"Commander Holt won't be long, Admiral Shirogane." A hazmatted nurse tech said, before leaving the room. Shiro lay glassy-eyed from sleep, pulling himself to awareness as best he could with such a low rate beating in his chest.

"Maybe when he gets here he can take this _thing_ off you." Kimberly guessed.

"Gotta hand it to Sam, though." Shiro murmured loosely. "His products _do_ work." Alarms screamed overhead and they both looked up on alert.

"Evacuation sequence initiated." Iverson's voice cracked over the com system. "This is not a drill!" The door opened and a hasmatted tech entered.

"Evacuate immediately, Iverson's orders." The tech said in a rather rushed fashion, beginning to usher Kimberly out of the room.

"Oh, but.. what about Shiro?" She asked, peering over the man's shoulder at him.

"He'll have to be properly evacuated, he'll be meeting you outside soon." The tech replied forwardly. "And take the underground tunnels on your way out." Kimberly turned.. glancing over her shoulder once again at the man, she proceeded to walk away; the opposite direction of the small crowd charging down the hallway. The hasmatted tech then turned and headed back into the room. Taking hold of the device on Shiro's chest, he was able to turn it just right to remove it from the vest and set it aside.

"What are you doing?" Shiro wondered feeling the beat of his heart resume on its own beat; making him feel more awake.

"Commander Holt is not here and you have to be evacuated.. we need to leave all forms of technology behind." The tech replied, continuing to work. Pressing and holding the button to raise the top half of the bed up, he waited til Shiro was almost sitting upright before plunging something at his left arm. Shiro felt a stick and looked down in surprise, but immediately felt the heaviness ensue and had no time to react before completely falling under its heavy influence. The hasmatted tech stood there staring at the, now unconscious, Shiro; before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

_XXXX_

"Sam, you made it. Thank goodness." Keith said, as the group reached him in the light of the morning sun. "Do you have any idea why Iverson called for an evacuation?"

"Uh-.. no. I was.. unaware there _was_ one until now." Commander Holt's blank stare and blinking eyes further summed up the truth of his words. "I just got here. Where's Shiro?"

"Probably still coming." Keith guessed. "The techs are probably having to bring him out, per Garrison protocol."

"You mean you weren't with him when this all happened?" Sam wondered, Colleen standing worriedly at his side.

"No.. we were just going to see him when the alarms sounded." Keith looked up past Sam and the older man turned to view the younger one's field of vision.

"Commander Iverson." Sam addressed the man in question, as he strode toward them finishing what looked to be a breakfast sandwich.

"-e Commander Holt. What can I do for you on this fine day." Iverson replied brightly.

"You can start by providing an explanation for the evacuation of the _whole_ Garrison facilities." Sam replied.

"-I didn't issue any evacuation." Iverson replied simply. "I was running an errand off campus early this morning, just arrived back from it… so what's this about an evacuation of the _whole_ campus?" Sam's gaze brightened.

"But.. if you didn't.."

"What are you talking about?" Lance interrupted, crossing his arms. "We heard your voice over the mic system. It _had_ to have been you."

"Sorry, son. But I don't know whatch'er talking about." Iverson reiterated. "I wasn't even here to give the order for one."

"Wait but then.. if you're not the one who issued the order…" Lance trailed, inclining everyone to look back at the Garrison building.

"Who did?" Keith finished for him.

"Evacuation complete." Called a commander to another, and the group began peering around expectantly.

"'Scuse me,.." Sam beckoned coming to the commander. "Might I ask where Admiral Shirogane is?" The commander's face broadened his head cocking slightly in thought; eyes blank. At that moment though.. _CLASH, BANG, CLANG!_

"Someone's activated lockdown mode!" Sam gasped, everyone staring in dismay and shock; chatter beginning.

"Hang on.. I'm almost there… ok! I'm in the system!" Pidge announced, tapping vigorously at the keys of her computer; sitting on the ground with it balanced in her lap. "The cameras are still operational and can easily be hacked, whoever's doing this,.. will soon be revealed."

"This doesn't add up." Sam remarked exasperatedly. "How could someone have hacked into our system, to impersonate Commander Iverson into initiating a _fake_ evacuation sequence, _and_ put the Garrison on lockdown?"

"The only way for this to be possible is for them to have an understanding of Garrison protocol.." Iverson stated. "High ranking knowledge."

"But then we were right about it being someone within the Garrison.. but who could it be?" Keith wondered. "Everyone seems to be accounted for." Gasping breaths drew their attention to Keith's left, as Evelyn and Mark came panting up to them with their family in tow.

"Have any of you.. seen Kimmie?" Evelyn breathed, between breaths. "We.. can't seem to find.. her."

"That's not good." Lance said, meeting Keith's gaze.

"Guys look!" Pidge squeaked, pointing to her screen. "Shiro's out cold in the medical bay."

"Well, what does that mean?" Hunk wondered nervously.

"You mean he's still inside?!" Keith gasped, clearly ignoring the Yellow Paladin's question.

"'Looks that way." Pidge went on; Hunk looking from Pidge to Keith then back again.

"What is happening right now?!" Hunk cried.

"Alright, everyone calm down." Sam demanded softly. "We need to find out who's doing all of this and figure out a way to stop them. And get into the Garrison to help Shiro. Pidge, can you see if you can find out where this person is and.. where they are inside the Garrison?" Pidge's fingers typed some more and the screen switched many times before settling on a figure, they were all-too-shocked to recognize.

Elbows rested on the arms of his chair, hands composed in front of his mouth..

"No… it.. can't be.." Sam breathed. Reddish brown hair and blondish highlights gave him away completely amongst the black of his suit.

"How?.." Keith's voice ventured.

"Tap into the system." Commander Holt instructed Veronica. "Find Shiro again."

"Its.." They all looked closer.

"_Wayde?!_" The group breathed together.

"I thought you might wanna spy on me from the outside." Wayde said, as if able to hear them, and looking up into the lens as if able to see them through it. "But by all means.." He stood up to face the camera squarely. "Now behold the destruction of your leader!"

"I don't believe it.." Sam remarked lowly. "All this time it has been _Wayde_ that was plotting against us!"

"Sir?" Veronica's voice sounded off and they all look up to her. "Admiral Shirogane is gone." She finished turning her computer screen to them, to reveal a bed with no one in it.

_XXXX_

Ringing in his ears brought back the feeling of reality; the fabric of space and time restitching itself to form the waking world he'd soon returned to. Blinking, he rubbed the heaviness from his eyes with the thumb and forefinger of his right hand. Then realizing an anomaly just below him, he looked down. The plastic form of the knee brace was removed, cut in two and spread on either side of his leg. _Should I risk it?_, was a thought of his mind. Sliding to the side of the bed so his feet touched down to the floor, he hesitated. _Silence? What happened to the alarms that were going off? Could it have been a false alarm?_ Eyes on the floor, he dared himself to stand; the weight of his body unchanging in strength upon his lower limbs. _Nothing. Maybe heading to the control room will shed some light on all this. Iverson may be able to explain all this._ Reaching the door easily, he decided now that his leg was mostly, if not completely, healed. And turning down the corridor, he began the journey.

_XXXX_

"Where could he be?" Pidge wondered, typing away at the computer in her lap.

"He can't _possibly_ have gone far." Lance stated, peering over her shoulder. "I mean he was out _cold_, he couldn't have gotten too far from where he was in the short amount of time we weren't watching him."

"Right, but then where'd he go?" Pidge wondered again, continuing to flip camera feeds.

"There! Camera 9-2B." Veronica pointed, designating the screen the moment it popped up. Shiro ran through the halls, clearly on a mission.

"Where's he going?" Lance wondered, peering in closer.

_XXXX_

_It's so quiet.. Something's not right.. What could all this mean? Where is everyone?.. And why am I the only one who seems to still be here?_ Stepping into a run, his haste grew to one more level;.. as his mission became more urgent.

_XXXX_

"He's pretty focused on getting where he's going." Lance observed further. "I wonder what's going through his mind right now."

"He's probably wondering why no one's there, and why it's so quiet in the Garrion." Pidge answered him bluntly. "He's probably heading to the,... main.. control room.. We need to stop him before he gets there!" She finished with a determined urgency, as she hair whipped her gaze toward them.

"What? Why?" Lance wondered, turning his curious gaze down on her now.

"Because.. _Wayde_ is there." Pidge returned dryly. "If Shiro reaches the main control board before _we_ reach _him_, he'll walk right into Wayde's trap. It's probably what he's been planning all along."

"And it was easy for him to do it too." Sam remarked hauntedly. "His knowledge of the Garrison's protocols and standard of security measures allowed him to coordinate his plan into getting this far."

_XXXX_

Shiro rushed on. The closer he got on his internal map to the room of his desired destination,.. the more his urgency seemed to grow. He turned a corner and suddenly a screen cut him off.

"Ahh.. Admiral Shirogane you here." Wayde teased cheekily, over the live feed upon the screen of his own form of robotic sentry.

"Wayde." Shiro sneered in a low tone. "I should've known you were behind this.. What do you want?"

"What I've always wanted…" Wayde returned easily. "You.. to stay out of my way!" The robot's arm swung forth and bashed Shiro against the wall behind him.

_xxxx_

"Shiro!" Pidge gasped, everyone leaning in closer.

_xxxx_

Shiro groaned, as he began to recover himself.

"This.. isn't even about Kimberly anymore.." Shiro breathed through seething breaths. "This.. is madness!"

"Cheap words, Shirogane." Wayde sniffed, his screened robot pacing forward. "But if you insist on playing _'knight in Shining Paladin Armor'_ be my guest." Stepping aside a figure kneeling behind him looked up.

"Takashi?!" Kimberly's voice cracked.

"No." Shiro breathed, his brows scrunched together then furrowed intensely. "You won't get away with this!" He sneered to Wayde's pleasureful smirk.

"Then come try and stop me." Wayde challenged proudly. His cackle rang out, as the robot delivered a hard punch to Shiro's chest and stomped away, leaving Shiro to drag himself up off the floor again.

**Hey guys what's up?! Another chapter fresh and hot! As I have said, the end is near and I think you guys can kinda see it;.. but yet there is still much more to see before the end. So with that… enjoy! Thx!**


	13. Plans Gone Wrong!

Chapter thirteen: Plans Gone Wrong!

Shiro groaned in finding the strength to stand, a hand to his, now aching, midsection; and the other to the wall next to him. A flash of his wrist band and Pidge's face popped up.

"Shiro,.. Shiro, can you hear me?" The screen slightly flickered, then remained clear as.

"Yes.." Shiro breathed. "But we need to hurry,.. Wayde's back, and he's got Kimberly."

"We know.. We saw the whole thing. We've hacked into the system to get a feed, but we can't override the lockdown, yet. You're the _only_ one trapped in there with him. You need to get to your Paladin armor to protect you from those hits,.. it's likely you've already knocked some ribs loose with that blow."

"I agree on that, but there's gotta be a better way to do this,.." Shiro concurred, turning around to take off gingerly; down the corridor straight ahead of him now. "At this point, Wayde's got me running through here, like a mouse in a maze. He's leading me right into,.. whatever trap he's set for me."

"We know.. and Kimberly must be the bait. He's trying to lure you in, which means you should _not_ follow him. There's gotta be a way to hack the system to drop the lockdown." Shiro ducked around a corner and flattened himself against the wall, as two of Wayde's robots stomped by the intersection he'd come from a short distance back.

"Wayde's totally lost himself in all this.." Shiro's lowered voice stated. "If we wanna take him down,.. we have to play it smart."

"I agree, but we also need to keep _you_ safe. Realize, you're supposed to be getting married in a couple weeks. And I imagine you'd wanna be in one piece for that. I'm sending in Keith and the space wolf to get you to your Paladin armor fast." Pidge decided, tapping at her computer keys again. "And then we'll use it to phase you out of there."

"No.. we need to take Wayde down now." Shiro insisted, making it to another corner. "The longer he holds possession of the Garrison,.. the more time he has to do whatever he sees fit to Kimberly, and whatever else he chooses to do. He could gain access to anything he wants within the system. Even things he's not authorized to access. We need to stop him before that happens."

"Roger that.. I'm on it." Pidge then turned back to her father. "Dad, do you have your datapad with you?"

"Of course I do, I always do." Sam replied easily. The Green Paladin then looked back down to the screen.

"Ok, I'm sending Keith and Matt in." She said, beginning to type once more.

_XXXX_

A burst of light and Keith, Matt and Cosmo appeared inside the Garrison halls. Looking to their right in a collectively composed kneel, they rose quietly and jogged down the empty corridor; wishing they could somehow mask the echoing sound of their footsteps, that demanded their presence to whoever might still be around to hear them. Stopping at a corner to wait for a robot to patrol on by, Keith waited a moment to peer around the corner.

"Where is he?" Keith whispered, into the com in his Voltron helmet.

_xxxx_

Pidge's fingers worked across the keys to find the screen.

"There!" She gasped finally. "Across from the lieutenant's commissary."

_xxxx_

Shiro raced down the hall past the large glass windows, meeting up with Keith and Matt at the intersection that T-boned his position directly.

"Shiro.." Keith addressed his friend.

"There's no time, we need to keep moving.. those drones are hunting for me now. We need to get to the office wing. My armor is kept in a locker in my office."

"Got it." Keith nodded.

"Meanwhile I'll start to figure out if I can jam the system, so Pidge can let down the lockdown." Matt said, putting up a thumbs up to them before sneaking off behind himself alone. Keith set a hand on Cosmo's back, Shiro knelt down to do the same; and they were gone in a flash.

_XXXX_

Entering the room and opening a cabinet, there was revealed to be.. Shiro's Black Paladin armor; fashioned slightly different with his admiral rank embroidered on the black shoulders. A noise drew their eyes up, Shiro standing before the open cabinet and Keith and Cosmo at the door back to his right.

"Shiro,.. we've got incoming.." Keith whispered, holding his sword in his left hand between him and the space wolf. "Two o'clock far and counting." And to that.. Shiro reached for his suit of armor.

_XXXX_

"Pidge, Shiro's good." Keith reported softly over the com link.

"Roger that,.. still working on a game plan here." The Green Paladin responded. "Hang tight."

_xxxx_

Keith looked up, as soon as another sound answered the silence much closer. Motion drew his eyes over to his left, as Shiro knelt on the other side of the door with him. The sound seemed to die away and they advanced out into the corridor; only to be met with syncing blasters and metallic hostiles blocking both directions of escape. Keith and Shiro, with Cosmo between them paced back toward one another; each staring at the group of bots seeking to end their sneak-around. Touching a hand down without breaking their gaze, Cosmo flashed them away to end up right on the outside of the two or three bot barricade. Dashing away from them, their pursuit clattered in echoing footsteps behind them; coming up with more seemingly in every corner.

"Keith, go." Shiro instructed. "It's me they're after.. you can still escape while there's enough of them to give you an exit."

"Are you crazy?! I am _not_ leaving you here." Touching him and the wolf, they flashed away again. Appearing in the dark hallways just outside the door to the office wing, they remained knelt quietly for a moment longer; to avoid any form of detection.

"We're not abandoning you, when Wayde's clearly out to get you." Keith told him, standing up to pace toward the older man forwardly.

"I'm not gonna risk you or anyone _else_ to be caught in the middle of this." Shiro returned firmly. "This issue is between Wayde, and _me_. I won't let him cause anyone else to suffer because of.. whatever type of grudge he holds against me." Shiro walked past Keith, so that now they were on opposite sides of where they'd first ended up.

"Except for you've forgotten one thing.." Keith countered, following his gaze around at him. "If someone messes with one part of the team.. they mess with us all. You taught us that. We're a team.. and a team always does things together; even faces a personal problem together.

"This is different." Shiro replied, his eyes firm and serious.

"Not really." Keith shot back, as the two men stood before one another in the center of the hallway fork. "We handled all of our enemies together.. and even though Wayde is no Galra Emperor or crazed Altean witch.. but he's _still_ become our enemy. And I wanna help take him down.. once and for all." A zap of golden light shot between them and they jumped back quickly. Looking to the only path beside them, which was on their right; more blaster fire came their way, and they had to dive opposite ways to avoid it. Each landing out of a mid-air leap into a somersault, Keith immediately looked up.

"Shiro!" His voice rasped.

"Just go!" Shiro called back, as a robot grabbed his wrist from behind, wrenching it back against his back; which he bashed his head back into its face, for it to let him go so he could plunge it into another. "We'll have to meet up somewhere else where it's safe. Get out of here, now!" Standing there, Keith stared; soon finding it to be a mistake, when the breath was knocked out of him and his arm flared in an inferno pain he could almost die from feeling. Grimacing against the cold floor and wall at his back, his remained paralyzed by the blow he'd just received; Shiro's voice called his name, but then faded away, then suddenly silence was bliss with nothing more than a fiery demon attacking his field of vision.

_XXXX_

Pidge kept typing away, then looked up from her computer. "Dad, is Matt in position?"

"Negative.. he's still working on it." Sam replied, turning from his data pad.

"If we can't get that lockdown shield to go down I'm gonna have to get Keith to yank Shiro out of there." Pidge began again. "_He's_ the one Wayde's _really_ after.. not Kimberly."

"And if he _does_ get a hold of Shiro? Then what?" Lance questioned unsurely.

"I don't know.. but that's why we need to get him out of there." Pidge replied certainly. _FLASH!_ Keith gasped for breath, rolling off his side and onto his back unwillingly; free arm laid flat to the ground lying stretched out from his body.

"Keith! What happened?! Where's Shiro? What's going on in there?!" Pidge's questions didn't seem to sink into the Red Paladin, but since she was now close enough to see him, she could tell it had.

"Shiro..'s.. still in there." Keith gasped finally. "I'm goin' back in!"

"Absolutely not." Veronica immediately declined, taking his shoulder to stop his attempt to rise from the ground from a one-legged kneel. "You're more hurt than when you went in.. it's too dangerous. We need to send someone, who's _not_ injured, in after him."

"Veronica's right." Said another voice that drew their eyes up behind her. "I'm going in." Axca finished standing there in a posture of determination and decidedness.

"What?..Bu-"

"No one with an injury like yours should be going in there." Axca cut him off. "_Especially_ you.. I can handle this… you trust me,.. don't you?" Keith's eyebrows furrowed.

"Of course I do.." He breathed understandingly.

"Then I'm going." Axca decided once more.

"Guys?.. What's going on here?" Turning around, they were shocked by the blonde hair and blue eyes that met their confused gazes.

_XXXX_

Panting hard by now, his feet echoed across the floors of the empty hallways; no sign of pursuit behind him by now. Shiro screeched 'round a corner and took off down the new corridor; changing the scenery only slightly. _Gotta keep moving!_ Racing on, he was soon stopped by the opening of doors.

"Welcome." Said a voice, from the chair turned away from him; directly forward from his position. The chair then swung around and there he sat. In a bit of rage Shiro paced forward into the room.

"Where's Kimberly?" Shiro demanded, seeing that there was no sign of her.

"*scoffs* please.. did you really think I'd threaten her for _you_?" Wayde sniffed. The door slammed closed behind him, and Shiro tilted his range of hearing back toward it; sensing the presences taking up spaces behind him. Then, jolting his sharp vision up again, Wayde was on his feet pacing toward him. "I don't _need_ real bait to draw _you_ out." Wayde commented sinisterly, lunging into a pounding run toward Shiro. Wayde leapt up from the slightly raised platform, seeming to come down on him in slow motion; because Shiro caught his attack with ease against his right arm.

"Shiro! Abort the mission.. Now!" Keith's voice cracked in his ear through the com. Wayde's lip curled up in a smile, then suddenly Shiro was flown through the air to hit the hard surface of a wall; and tumbling down off the control panel just below him. Looking up in time, his eyes flashed and he dove away to avoid the crash that followed.

_xxxx_

"Shiro?!" Keith cried at hearing a muffled crash.

"What is going on here? Who ordered a lockdown? And what is the evact for?" Kimberly wondered innocently.

"No one.." Keith answered hauntedly. "Wayde used you to get Shiro alone, by impersonating commander Iverson and initiating the evacuation _and_ lockdown sequence. He somehow had Shiro knocked out long enough to be the _only_ one left inside the Garrison."

"Kimmie!" Evelyn cried wrapping her daughter in a hug. "Oh thank goodness you're alright!

"Of course I am. Wait.. what are you talking about?" Kimberly wondered, turning back to Keith from her family's embrace. "I thought he was to be evacted with everyone else?"

"He was.." Sam confirmed. "But he must've somehow rigged the system to put everyone off protocol and onto a false one."

"So he's _still_ in there?!" Kimberly gasped.

"I'm afraid so.." Sam confirmed unfortunately.

"No!" She breathed, looking back up at the Garrison distraughtly.

**Hey you guys, what up?! So this chapter was incredibly hard to orchestrate, but; _TA DA!_ I did it! Anyway, I hope you can follow all that happens here and I hope you like it. Coming upon the final stretch of the plot though, so here we go! Can't wait to see what you guys think of the ending. Enjoy! Thx!**


	14. Enter The Lion's Den

Chapter fourteen: Enter The Lion's Den

"I've been waiting for this moment for years now.." Wayde explained, pacing toward Shiro lying against a wall; picking himself up again. "Been studying this alien tech for months now. I know all about the Galra and Altean races.. at least enough to know how it works."

"But.. how did you get a hold of that information?" Shiro questioned, between breaths.

"*scoffs* honestly.." Wayde sniffed. "I'm a scientist.. I make my own ideas happen. I was on the same crew that salvaged your crashed ship, and later Sam's when he crashed down in that Altean one years later. I studied all I could from these two technologies and learned all sorts of things… I even managed to achieve flight with the construction of my little robotics project downstairs; which is currently in the _re-assembly_ process by the way."

"No!" Shiro cried, lunging toward him. A grip holding fast to his left wrist, which tightened upon him looking back at the robot that held it. Cringing at its tight grasp, he recoiled toward it; swearing it'd break his arm if he struggled too much. But then taking it's arm at the wrist he was able to find the strength to throw it over him and away; freeing himself. "This is crazy." Shiro told him, massaging his wrist with his other hand carefully. "All this for no reason? What could you _possibly_ have against me to go this far?"

"You think there's nothing?!" Wayde sneered. "Try _everything_!.." Shiro was knocked against a wall and slowly began to recover himself as Wayde stalked toward him. "..I was a highly intelligent young man.. offering great skill to any situation given to me. Even from a young age I was brilliant! And everyone saw it. And then _you_ showed up… and all I ever heard after that was "Takashi, this" and,.. "Officer Shirogane, that..." ".._I_ was the one who dated Kimberly for years while at the Garrison academy.. and it was _I_ who asked her to marry me. But thanks to you, that dream was taken away from me!.." "she was supposed to say yes to _me_! And yet after all these years of being M.I.A. you somehow manage to convince her in your favor, just to spite me.. well it won't work.." "..It was _I_ who sent all those threats against you.. and rigged the robot in the Blue Voltron Lion's cave to attack you and Keith. Just as I was able to gain the knowledge, from my research, to build it. I was _also_ the one who ordered the evac., using the vocal imaging kept in the Garrison system and formulated a certain speech mannerism to give the blame to _dear_ old Commander Iverson to conceal myself for the big reveal. No one can say I was not careful in planning this all out.. and even though you _still_ gain immediate glory for being.. _"legendary"_. Today it is _MY_ day for glory! And it starts.. with ending you! Haahhhh!" Lunging forward into his battle cry, Shiro dove away from him in time to avoid the hit. Wayde turned swiftly, glaring in his direction.

Shiro held his prosthetic arm up, soon realizing once again; that it would not weaponize like it once could.

"Come on,.. did you _really_ think that would work?" Wayde mocked, stalking toward him. "You may have had a powerful advantage once.. but not any more."

"That's what you think." Shiro replied swiftly. A flash of purple and suddenly his bayard was in his hand becoming the arm-encompassing weapon it had granted him, and he shot the corded blade at Wayde, who dodged it to lodge into the wall far behind him. Finding this opportunity, he retracted the blade to pull himself forward; in order to gain the momentum to land both feet across Wayde's chest for him to hit the ground, clattering. Freeing the blade with the shifting of purple light, his fists came together for a brief moment as the purple light shifted and split to create the double of this weapon as his hands thrust to his sides solidifying them for a downward slice. Which Wayde shielded with an armored forearm, while bracing his other elbow into the ground for leverage. Finding an ability to kick up with his left leg, he knocked Shiro back off his feet; who immediately began to recover himself as Wayde did. But standing, he nearly fell at the weakness of his injured knee, crouching again to regain his balance.

"How does it feel to be the weak, helpless one for a change." Wayde taunted, cocking a proud smirk. Shiro's expression hardened and he came at Wayde again. The former Garrison tech lunged and delivered a powerful kick that sent Shiro through the open door of the main control room's only exit. Grimacing and placing a hand to his chest, his gaze lit up and he took off down the corridor to his right.

_xxxx_

"Nice work, Matt!" Pidge praised gruffly. "Shiro's on the move again."

_xxxx_

"Good. Cause I don't know how much longer he can take hits like that from Wayde. He's become more powerful _physically_ than I've _ever_ seen before." The Holt boy replied, ducking down behind a control panel to finish this statement in secret. "I still haven't gotten the chance to disable the lockdown, but I'll keep looking for a work around."

"Copy that." Pidge replied. "We'll keep tracking Shiro's movements and let you know if anything changes.

_xxxx_

Shiro slowed for a moment coming to a four way intersection. Looking back toward the clattering footsteps behind him, he took off down the hall to his left, letting his glance fall forward after a while to plunge forward for wherever he desired to go.

"You can't run forever!" He heard Wayde's voice call, chasing him down the same corridors he'd leave behind. "Sooner or later you'll run out of places to go."

Stopping short, glass windows defined shapes he could only feel relief at seeing.

_XXXX_

Silence shattered with the glass, as Shiro found himself plummeting downwards; hitting a hard surface that he had to fumble for a grip to keep from sliding all the way down off the white and gold-striped ship. Despite the stab at his side, he pulled himself back up, straddling his weight out over his composed crouch with hands held out for balance.

"Not so smart, crashing through a window that would give you away." Wayde commented smugly. Stepping up and through the broken window, he stood up on its frame. And, bracing himself with his right hand, he shot a cable up and swung over to land cleanly on top of the Atlas a short distance toward the ship's nose from where Shiro stood.

_xxxx_

"Where'd he go?" Lance asked, leaning over Pidge's shoulder further to see better.

"Hang on.." Pidge said, typing vigorously. "There! In the Atlas's hanger."

_xxxx_

Shiro blocked the cable's blade, which came his way, with his prosthetic arm, and prepared an internal course of action which he rushed forward to begin. Sporting some of his own spinning movements, he punched down with as much force as his superhuman extremity could manage; inspite of his weakened state of fatigue rising up evermore. A smirk and Wayde packed a punch of his own up to Shiro's chin and he flew back across the Atlas's back, tumbling several times over as a result. Landing face down all he could manage was a soft groan, right cheek chilled by the cool metal alloid.

_xxxx_

"Shiro's down!" Lance cried.

"Matt!" Pidge hissed impliedly, anger beginning to rise within her judging by her tone.

"Working on it!" Came the stressed reply.

_xxxx_

Forcing himself to his knees, His body ached with each panting breath, the white of his floof nearly matching the pale of his skin.

"Ptuh, getting married.." Wayde cursed smugly. "You're not as capable as you think, _Admiral_."

Shiro, in a bit of rage, swung his left hand up at Wayde who dodged it easily, but was then caught off guard by the fact that Shiro's _right_ hand immediately following to successfully knock him down onto his back, and Shiro turned to run. Coming around the structure that still towered above them yet, he tapped his hand to something and a hatch opened where he tapped a sequence of numbers gaining him access to the open hatch beneath it.

_xxxx_

Everyone watched as Shiro leapt into the open hatch and the door shut behind him.

"What's he doing?" Lance wondered crowding Pidge more til his nose was almost touching the screen. The Blue Paladin hardly knew what was happening, when he was suddenly pulled backwards and fell on his bottom, legs stiffly hitting the ground afterwards.

"Hey, what was that for?!" Lance complained, crossing his arms in pathetic protest.

"You were getting in my way." Pidge told him bluntly, without turning to make eye contact. "I need to stay on him and I can't if you're blocking my view." Suddenly out of nowhere the ground trembled with a familiar growl and they all stood up on alert.

"Could that be.." Lance trailed, their eyes gazing up thoughtfully.

_CRASH!_ The Black Lion burst from the tallest hanger building, soaring across the blue sky from the dust that the explosion had created.

"Yeah, he made it!" Pidge exclaimed, throwing the hand that wasn't holding her computer up triumphantly with the accompaniment of bellowing cheers from the Garrison staff. Kimberly's grip on her own hands loosened slightly, as a small wave of relief washed over her face. The Black Lion landed just outside of the Garrison grounds. Shiro smiled as a subtle response to the cheering crowd, who stood within the grounds to congratulate his escape.

"Guess no one needed to go in after him after all." Axca reasoned at seeing this, Keith smiling thankfully below her.

"Oh thank Heaven!" Evelyn sighed, grasping her husband's hand tightly.

But Shiro's smile soon faded at another growing sound.

"Wait.. what is that?" Hunk wondered becoming nervous in the moment. Following the rising uproar of noise.. was a solid black shadow leaping from the exit point, now to stand opposite Shiro and the Black Voltron Lion; leaving the Garrison behind it.

"No!" Kimberly gasped under her breath, her eyes bright with horror and she could've sworn her heart had skipped a beat.

_xxxx_

"You didn't think I'd make this easy for you.. did you?" Wayde taunted smugly, lifting his gaze dramatically as if someone were to see.

_xxxx_

"Uh, team.. I think I might need some back-up on this one." Shiro admitted in a tone of voice they'd seldom heard from him ever.

"What? Why, ar..are you alright?" Keith's voice asked him.

And the silent answer, through Shiro's eyes, was his splitting vision and the weakness of his fatigued extremities.

"Let's just say the sides aren't.. exactly fair in our favor." Shiro replied, lifting his eyes back up to the screen in front of him showing his dark lion adversary.

_xxxx_

Keith and Pidge met each other's gaze, coming up from the computer screen in her lap, their eyes confused by the blinks they shared. Pidge began to type again until a monitor came up with a body icon appearing next to it.

"He's right.." Pidge stated gravely. "His heart rate's a little off. He's getting tired."

"Copy that." Keith said, rising where he was. "Guys, Shiro's still in trouble.. We need to get into the Garrison to get our lions. We just need a way to-.." Thundrous slamming occurred and the lockdown doors retracted away again, sending the Garrison staff in an uproar of vocal celebration.

"Yes! Nice work, Matt,.. perfect timing!" Pidge praised thankfully.

"You know me." Came her brother's comedic response.

"Alright, let's go team." Keith called, gesturing to the other three paladins as Pidge rose from her seat on the ground, all three turning his way.

"Wait, Keith!" Kimberly's voice called to stop them in their tracks, earning her their glance. "Bring him back safe." She finished after her eyes wandered down then up again during her short pause for words.

"We will." Keith assured her with a nod. "Now let's move, team!" Then, leading the charge, the remaining Paladins took off toward the Garrison, weaving through the halls until they stood before the mighty gold and white plated ship.

_XXXX_

Wayde growled and thrust his stick forward commanding his beast to lunge into a galloping run toward the Black Voltron Lion, Shiro's grip tightening on the handles in preparation of the attack yet to come. His blurred vision and thoughts he pushed away to focus on the only thing he could..

Eyes closed he imagined the woman he loved and the family that stood around her.. and the family that stood around _him_. A growl in his ear comforted him, and then a merging happened, something he'd felt at least once before; and suddenly his strength felt renewed as his eyes were opened to a fanged snarl plunging his direction!...

**Hey guys, how's it going! You guys, this story is starting to wind down.. But hey.. that just means we can continue on with the next chapter. Cause, yes, there is one in mind already. And by 'chapter' I think you guys can guess means a new story. Depending on when this one finally gets done and what time I'll have to work on it, I'll try to start it as soon as I possibly can. But still just the same it'll hopefully get done at some point. To be sure you get the notification, put me in your favorite author list so you will receive notifications of new chapters and stories and etc. Hope you enjoy this new chapter and I'll see you next time! Thx!**


	15. Go For The Takedown!

Chapter fifteen: Go For The Takedown!

Shiro guided Black over, right as the other lion landed in his place in a cloud of dust. Another growl and the lion lunged his way again, and again, Shiro avoided it.

"Urgh,.. fight me, coward." Wayde grumbled to himself, flipping a line of switches on his left hand panel.

_xxxx_

The dark lion's mouth opened and panels on its shoulders shifted up, and the projectiles that came from it, launched straight toward him on a weaving trajectory that the Black Voltron Lion had to weave through to avoid. The Lion of Voltron's well seasoned pilot maneuvered it through with a stunning accuracy. But that the final missile came as a shock, when it hit him head on with a blast that rattled through in a mighty wave of light and sound.

The result was a ring so heavy, he feared his brain was going to burst in his skull, and his eardrums would shatter with them. The whining ring finally decimated, however, but now the claws and jaws coming his way lifted one paw for a blow that successfully spilled the Black Lion onto its back, recovering slowly with a noticeable strain of heaviness.

"Hahahaa! Some _defender_." Wayde mocked as his lion prowled forward. "I'm going to enjoy destroying you... in fact,.. I'm going to _savor_ it. Then my nightmares of you will finally end!"

_xxxx_

Shiro found himself seething with an unfamiliar anger, as he began to force his Lion up again.

_xxxx_

The giant robot feline rolled up to stand lengthwise toward Wayde's,.. exposing its left side in a bent over prowl.

"Once I end you, I'll absorb your lion _and_ its abilities." Wayde announced to Shiro. "And when I do, I'll use _it **and**_ the remaining lions as my personal guardians for the _new_ galactic alliance. That way, _I'll_ be the one in charge. And I'll become the Sky Marshall over all the known universe.. one planet at a time." Leaping forward onto Shiro's lion, the Black Voltron lion fell back onto its back with its paws reaching over to toss Wayde's lion up and over it, landing on its paws before him once again.

"After all this chaos you've caused.. no one will _ever_ want _you_ to be their Sky Marshall." Shiro returned sourly. "You won't even have a _chance_ in getting that job."

"Who said I was going to _ask_?" Wayde answered smugly. "That's your problem; Shirogane. You always _wait_ for the opportunity to be handed to you. Whereas me?.. I go out and I take it." Snapping at Shiro's lion the two big cats clawed at one another, before Shiro laid a blow across the dark lion's head.

"Taking what you want will only cost you in the end.." Shiro answered. "I don't want to fight you on this.. but I won't let you destroy the one thing that has been helping earth and countless other planets recover from the battle against Honerva and the Galra Empire!" The two lions lunged forward in a sprint towards one another, when just before reaching them a blast cut them off right across their path, stopping them both short.

"Shiro, get out of there!" Keith called from the Red Lion, as it's laser finished it's blast. The Black Lion soon took off for the sky to join the others floating just overtop of Wayde's lion, which stared up at them with an artificial sounding growl.

"You may have the _official_ Voltron." Wayde said for them all to hear over the comlinks. "But it's a good thing I had time to build some friends.." A cackling laugh, and up from the earth at four different points around him, came four additional lions; all similar in shape and size to the Voltron lions, which landed on either side of Wayde's dark lion.

"Uh.. how'd he do that?" Hunk wondered nervously. The five dark lions jetted to the sky together beginning a sequence they could oddly recognize right away.

"They must have combining abilities.." Shiro observed. "Which means we need to form Voltron!"

"But what about Keith?" Pidge protested reminding them of a simple fact. "He can't _possibly_ fight, much less, pilot with one arm."

"Good thing, we have some good friends." Keith answered as a robotic shift occurred for everyone to hear, as he grabbed the handle of his lion's controls.

"Uhhh.. what _is_ that?" Pidge asked.

"It's a mechanical arm brace made by some of the alien scientists back on Daibazaal.. I'll explain later." Keith answered simply. "Right now.. let's take this guy out! Form Voltron!" Thrusting the handles back then forward carefully he and the other Paladins turned their lions to the heavens and came back down as the mighty lion warrior they'd come to know and love over the years. About that same time, came a fast moving ball of fire which hit the ground with a force that knocked Voltron to the ground. But once they'd recovered, they stared down the cloud that began to clear, as another lion-esque figure looked up with an off inhuman stare. Standing up from a one-legged kneel they had often down while inside of Voltron, the dark robot rose to face them squarely.

"Let the fun begin." Wayde monotoned as the robot began lifting its hands and then snapping them out with a sword and chain-link weapon appearing in them.

"Keith, form sword!" Shiro called.

"You got it!" The Red Paladin replied, connecting his bayard to the lock, the Red and Green Lion's heads came together to bring out the sword in one clean swipe.

"Be ready for anything.." Shiro warned. "I know his fighting style.. it's heavily military, and incredibly dangerous. And judging by my fight with him so far… he'll take any opportunity he can."

"Copy that.." Keith answered. And the dark robot charged toward them. "Let's do this!"

Voltron held its blade out in front of it with both lion head hands grasping the handle. Preparing for the right moment, the team watched diligently and waited for their leader's command.

"Now!" Shiro called. Thrusters blazed and Voltron jetted over the charging bot which swung and missed a blow with its sword. Landing out of the front flip of a movement, the colorful lion bot turned toward the dark one; holding the sword in one bright red hand. Swinging the sword, however, proved to be a failure as the dark bot's blade caught theirs.

"Hold it.. steady, team." Shiro strained, struggling to keep them stabilized.

"Watch out for the other hand!" Pidge cried, as a blow was delivered to Voltron's head, knocking them flat on its back. The blast that came from the weapon extending out into its chain link form, brought a black out that only four could quickly recover from, leaving only one to remain under it's, somewhat of a spell.

"-ihn.. Shiro?" Keith groaned coming out of the dizzying shock. "Shiro?.. Shiro?!"

_xxxx_

No answer came because of the admiral's mind being separated from the conscious world, as he lay back against his chair in such a way as to be lying flat out with both arms draped over the sides of the cockpit chair and his head leaned off to the right.

_xxxx_

"Shiro.. come in..! Answer me!... Shiro!" Keith called, becoming more and more frantic at the silence that returned. "Guys, Shiro's down!"

"Then what'do we do!" Lance wondered over his com. Then everyone had to brace, as they suddenly began to move.

xxxx

Wayde's chain link weapon wrapped the blue leg of Voltron and they were soon sent flying over the dark bot and into the ground hard, once again. Recovering from the jolt, Keith's eyes opened to the dark bot stalking up to them with its blade drawn, running forward towards them.

"Lance! Hunk!" Keith called through his labored breaths. The thrusters of the two legs fired and they flipped up in a reversed somersault to land with the arms and legs holding Voltron up off the ground just in time, as the dark bot's blade pierced the ground instead of Voltron.

"Come on, Shiro.." Keith breathed to himself. "Wake up!"

_xxxx_

Wayde's robot stalked forward and lowering its arms, he thrust them up to jolt Voltron more upright for it to deliver a kick to the colorful lion robot's chest; sending it crashing flat onto its back once again.

"Hahahahaa!" Wayde cackled pleasurefully. "I knew you couldn't stand without your _precious_ Admiral."

The bot stomped closer with its blade still in hand, taking it with the other hand to adjust its grip on the handle. But just when it swung the blade down to finish its multicolored enemy, a bright light appeared at each hand to catch its blade on black plating between two purplish blades; sparking with the contact of Wayde's single one.

"What?!" Wayde hissed.

_xxxx_

Keith realized the blow never came and looked forward to realize what was happening.

"Woah.. how did we.. how did we do that?" The Red Paladin wondered one awe.

"Ahn.. you're welcome."

_xxxx_

"Shiro?!" Keith's voice gasped over the com link into his own ears, as the Black Paladin's hands trembled at the obvious strain against the handles. "You're ok!"

"-Not- fully.. but at least I'm alive." Shiro returned. "Now let's finish this!" Thrusting his handles forward, the jets on Voltron's back fired up, somehow having enough thrust to push its way up to stand; even while battling the strength of Wayde's bot on top of them. But now that they stood, they dropped the weapon lock as Wayde's dark bot stood holding both weapons again; materializing the missing one to its hand ready to use it.

Shiro's weapons dematerialized from Voltron's hands and the shoulder cannon appeared, blasting the dark bot with one single, and very powerful, blast. Wayde's bot stumbled back to recover itself, and suddenly Voltron came up and stabbed the bot, armed with Shiro's bayard weapons, right in the chest and midsection area. Packing punches with each blow, Voltron didn't slow it's attack.

"Ahhhh!" The team hollered, in their form of a battle cry, slicing up to the right to slice an arm off from Wayde's robot.

_xxxx_

"No..no..NO!" Wayde murmured into a yell, as he pressed frantically at the many buttons on his dashboard.

_xxxx_

Voltron's gaze lifted and then materializing the sword, it swung once and chopped off a leg.. sliced again and the other arm came off; each bursting into small explosions of fire and air. Stabbing the sword into the heart of the bot, they're blow was enough to plunge the sword through and knock the bot to the ground; staking the ground with the sword sticking all the way through it. Mechanics clicked and sparked with one final blast, then all fell silent. The two colored lion heads growled diving into the dark metal, and carved a larger hole in the metallic creature's chest; throwing aside the piece they'd taken from it to view what was underneath. Exposing the damaged capsule, Wayde coughed and waved away the smoke which bellowed from around him. He would only look up when armored feet landed up in front of him and synced a blaster to him.

"Wayde Michelson, you are under arrest." Shiro announced, holding his hand gun on him in such a way as to look like that same confident leader that those around him had come to know and love. Voltron stood up straight to withdraw it's sword from the dark bot, as the wind blew at Shiro's white floof; sealing this statement with the light of the sun shining over them. The local authorities who had shown up by now with Garrison security, moved in to free Wayde from the twisted material and metal to then place him in handcuffs and take him away to the waiting cars. Kimberly stood against Shiro, among her family and the other Paladins, with her hand up onto his chest and the other around his back; watching them go by.

"We finally did it." Keith mentioned. Stepping forward for Shiro's peripheral to catch it and look over to his left, passed Kimberly's head.

"Yes.. and we did it without anyone else getting hurt." Shiro's words betrayed him, as he groaned and hunched over losing himself to a bit of a painful weakness. Kimberly and the team there to stop his fall and support him to remain standing..

**And here we are.. likely one chapter away from finishing this story. Thank you all sooo much for sticking with this one. I realize it's been tough since I haven't maintained a consistent posting schedule. But hopefully with some adjustments in how I do things, I can improve that somehow in the future. Work will continue til the end and then after I'll see what comes next. Enjoy this next chapter! Thx!**


	16. Glorious Day

Chapter sixteen: Glorious Day

Bow tie finished, suit straightened, the cuff of his sleeves needing adjusting, as he turned to his best man in black.

"You ready for this?" Keith wondered, implying the shift in music. "It's almost time."

"As I'll ever be." The Admiral replied with a smile. "I'm glad you're here with me."

"Yeah.." Keith agreed, with a tender smile. "Me too."

_XXXX_

The sun shone bright.. the sky pigmented in fiery hues which struck a resemblance to another moment in time similar to this one.. which only a select few knew of. The lines of people turned in their chairs to look, as the tall confident head of the Galactic Coalition slowly strode down the aisle to stand to the left of the pastor presiding over the glorious occasion.

"I've waited a long time for this, Takashi." The pastor sighed, the tone of his pride gleaming across his face in the final lights of Altea's day.

"I know, John.. We all have." Shiro murmured back thoughtfully.

"She's a wonderful young woman, you're a lucky man." The pastor whispered knowingly. "About to become that much luckier today."

"Yeah,.. I am." Shiro murmured, finding it to be all he could do. Thoughts bubbled to the surface upon all that had happened to get to this moment, and when he felt it could not get any better,.. the music of iconic tone began to play. Two figures came together at the end of the aisle, preparing to come forth to join him at the altar. The veil shade of a curtain was pulled back and the Red Paladin and the Maid of Honor emerged from it. The glow of their smiles and the pride in their step merging, with every gliding step that advanced them closer to joining the Admiral. Upon reaching the two steps, Keith held Joanna by the arm to help her up them carefully, minding the drag of her long purple dress banding in gold at the waist and the wrists securing the light cape of material upon the back of the gown in place so that it flow beautifully with every flowing movement. In climbing these steps they split ways so that they could now climb the three stairs to the next platform, so Keith stood at Shiro's right hand; the two exchanging glances briefly in doing so.

Next to come down the aisle, were the two science geeks themselves.. elbow in elbow the Yellow and Green Paladins, in their black suit and purple gown; both accented with the same yellowish gold. Purple flowers held in the Holt girl's hand, Pidge held them in her left hand as she picked up her dress with her right to climb the stairs; so she could split from Hunk's side and join Joanna at hers.

Lance and the Empress of Altea were the next to appear at the end of the aisle, coming down it with a level of pride even more passionate than that of those that had preceded them. And Shiro could tell it was for another reason in addition to this one. Lance laid a kiss upon the Altean queen's cheek before coming to join Keith and Hunk, Allura doing the same as she and Pidge exchanged smiles and straightened up proudly. Zack and his cousin McKenna entered into the picture as they began their journey to the front. McKenna's short black hair and ice blue eyes shimmered as if they too were under some filter of brightness which gave way to more beauty in the moment. Soon to follow.. Marcus and the Brookes kids' other cousin, Blake. Bearing a long black ponytail held up in such a sleek way as to make it _and_ her swooping bangs stand out nicely amongst Marcus's handsome suit and yellow tie to match that of the groomsmen. And as one last adorable measure Marcus turned and bent down at the top of the two-step rise, gesturing his arms to come.. And from the end of the aisle came spritely little Leo, his and Joanna's two-year-old son; bearing a box strapped to a pillow as he ran into his father's arms. Everyone swooned at his adorable entrance, as Marcus held him to where he could sweetly wave to the crowd and his father then took him over to line up with the groomsman as Blake left to join the bridesmaids. The music shifted once again,.. And everyone's gaze turned back and all rose once they caught movement approaching.

Bathed in a veil if white, falling over her shoulders and flowing out behind her in the wind, the dress striped with purple and conformed to her body up until the bottom half of the skirt; Kimberly strode forward so that the sun fell upon her in all her matrimonial beauty. Her hair straightened from its usual wave and pulled back so that part of her hair was secured back from her face, it still bore remnants of curls along both ears to remain a reminder of her hair's true nature. The long sleeves tied themselves together with the rest of the dress, accented by the bracelet-like bands that secured a specific point on the flowing cape of a veil at her back, from the pulled back point of her hair, to her wrist so that it flowed like what you would see of royalty in your midst. Even Shiro could not have imagined her like this as he nearly seemed like losing his ability to stand. A smile caressing her face, Kimberly's eyes shone brightly upon him, focused solely on Shiro as she made her way over to him. Evelyn's pride shimmered down her face as she brushed away her tears in the emotion of her daughter's precious beauty going by. Mark appeared at her side when reaching the first rise, and taking her hand he led her up the steps and Shiro came down the platform of three.

"The responsibility of caring for her.. Is yours now.. Shiro." Mr. Brookes said, pressing his daughter's hand into Shiro's. "May you be blessed in all your adventures together.. as one. Do well by her, ok?"

"I will." Shiro nodded. Kissing his daughter upon the cheek, he then left to return to his seat with his wife. And Shiro then led his bride by the hand up the three steps between their wedding party, to join the pastor under the arch colored in purple and white with flowers and yellow accent blossoms. Kimberly handed her bouquet of purple irises to Joanna, who accepted them graciously, so she could then join hands with Shiro and stare lovingly into his tender grey eyes.

"Dearly beloved," the pastor began. "We are gathered here today in celebration,.. of the long awaited union of Takashi Shirogane and Kimberly Brookes. How I have waited to see these two to marriage,.. And to each other no less.. but still it gives me great pleasure to preside over this momentous occasion. And here is to hoping that this marriage be blessed in the eyes of God,.. and those who bear witness today. If anyone objects.. to this marriage. Please, speak now, or forever hold your peace." nothing but silence returned as only smiles of happiness watched them intently. "Alright.. then let us now proceed with the vows." Pastor John then turned to the bride and groom, and the first to act was Kimberly. Turning to receive a piece of paper from Joanna, she carefully unfolded it and began to read.

"Shiro, my dearest love,.. From the time I left.. To the time I returned, I thought of you.. And what might have happened if I had stayed to be with you. At times I feared we'd lose some ground as friends.. but in coming back to reunite with you.. I see only that my love for you has only gotten stronger. I can't say that I _knew_ we were meant to be together,.. but I _can_ say that it has been a crazy,.. and amazing journey so far. I love you, and keep you forever in my heart. No matter where you are, no matter where you've been, I will always care about you, and support you. I promise to cherish you, and stand with you. For better or worse is not just a phrase we say in marriage.." Her eyes turned up to meet his, as she took his hand and slipped the ring onto it. "It's a promise of honorbound truth." Shiro's smile widened, but pulling out the blank piece of paper in his pocket, he stared at the empty page, looked up at her and tossed it aside and took her hands instead.

"Kimberly, I don't need words pre-written on a page to know how much I have come to love you. I feel like a part of me always has.. And that's why I stand here, with your hands in mine,.." He went on, receiving the ring to place on her finger. "Ready now more than _ever_ to take you as my wife. You're my best friend.. and I cannot imagine my life without you in it." Looking to the paper in her hand, her smiled cocked at one corner of her lips as she then tossed her paper aside and came forward for a kiss. Arms around his neck as they heard the pastor say…

"By the power vested in me, I give you… Mr. and Mrs. Takashi Shirogane." The cheers and applause had been well under way, but by the end of the kiss, they turned to face their audience hand in hand as the celebration heightened and even continued on. Wind blowing at the strands of their hair and the lengths of their attire with the sun setting in the background to commemorate this joyful occasion, the subtle lighting calmed with the darkness of dawn fading into the next phase of celebration beginning to shift the mood while maintaining the energy of the celebratory moment.

_XXXX_

"So what's the plan now?" Keith asked the happy couple, as they all dined along the length of the wedding party's table beneath Allura's statue, amongst the chatter of the meal reception.

"Well since a honeymoon wasn't a plan of ours initially," Shiro began, the shimmer of their golden and jeweled wedding bands gleaming upon their fingers. "But Allura and Lance offered to house us here in the castle for a week to explore the beautiful land of Altea."

"That's wonderful, you two." Mark smiled.

"Oh, yes, how generous of you, your Highness." Evelyn agreed, turning to the Altean ruler.

"Believe me, it is _no_ trouble." Allura assured them humbly. "It is the least we can do for a couple of friends of ours." Her hand laid on Lance's as their gazes met for a brief moment knowingly.

"And in the meantime, while _you're_ on marital vacation.." Sam spoke up looking to his wife then back to Shiro. "We'll continue work on the plans for the IGFS-Firebird by doing more research with the help of Ryner and her league of scientists on Olkarion. We'll be launching for the planet in the next two days. And with my teludav technology, compliments of the Allura and the Alteans, we'll _easily_ be there and back by the time _you_ get back to earth."

"Sounds good." Shiro nodded. "I hope everything'll go according to plan from here on out." Shiro was silent for a moment and everyone turned their attention to him in this silence.

"Something wrong, Shiro?" Lance asked him.

"No I.." Shiro glance landed on the table then came back up a moment later with a thoughtful smile. "I just wanna thank you all for helping us. I know it was a rough ride to get here.. but.. I'm glad we did it in the end."

"We are too." Keith smiled. "And we're glad you're ok. Things were pretty rough a couple weeks ago.." And this brought them back to a thought not long ago…

_xxxx_

_Gentle pulsing.. soft breaths.. a silent soul rested with an ease they hadn't seen for seemingly quite some time._

_"Is.. he gonna be ok?" Hunk wondered, as they all peered in at Shiro resting in the Garrison medical bay next to them, to then lay eyes on Sam who stood among them._

_"He'll be fine.." The commander replied thankfully, holding a hand up with ease. "He just needs some rest is all. I imagine he'll rest much more easily now that Wayde has been arrested and mandatory security has gone down. We'll keep up the protocols.. but they won't be quite as tight as they were before. Just enough to maintain the safety of our Admiral.. and his family too."_

_"And what of Wayde's.. abomination?" Allura wondered oddly._

_"Decommissioned,.. thankfully." Sam replied. "The metalloid is strong, but nowhere **near** Voltron strong. It can take a beating with the best of 'em, but Voltron still takes the indestructible cake for the time being."_

_"At least now we can focus on the more important thing here…" Pidge implied simply. "Shiro and Kimberly's wedding. It's three weeks away, after all."_

_"Maybe not.." Keith thought allowed, his eyes blank yet slightly thoughtful. "Will Shiro be fully rested by then?"_

_"We'll just have to wait and see." The Garrison commander shrugged. "Only time'll tell that for sure. But at least there's no **other** known threats to their special day. For now.. we can keep working on pulling things together. And continue assessing Shiro's condition as we get closer to the date. Till then.. we play it by ear." And with this, and a deep sigh from the Black Paladin, they all stared at Shiro as he easily slept on undisturbed…_

**Hey how's it going guys! Another chapter is here! But wait! There's more!...**

**Another chapter! That's right.. I thought this'd be the final one, but then as I was going through this chapter I realized there were some things I needed to do first before I wrap this thing up with a bow, so to speak. So therefore.. I will be releasing ONE MORE CHAPTER for this story after this one. Hopefully THAT will be the last one, then I can start work on the final fic of this threequel(if that's the right word XD) and finish out this whole story arc. Again, if there are things that I may have missed or were under explained,.. PLEASE don't hesitate to bring them up! And as always I hope to hear from you. Enjoy this new chapter and with that;.. Scarlett Out! Thx!**


	17. Dance The Night Away!

Chapter seventeen: Dance The Night Away!

"Oh,.. come on, Keith, everyone knows _'a couple'_ means two, right? I'm mean.. that's why they call a romantic relationship between two people a couple. Right?" Hunk's short rant paused in silence before the whole table burst into laughter.

"Well,.. three weeks goes by fast when hands and minds are busy.." Shiro commented, smiling. "Or finally getting some much needed rest after all of the chaos."

"Well we're glad it held _you_ under for as long as it did." Keith replied knowingly. "We know how tough things have been lately.. and were happy you could finally rest easy knowing it was all over again."

"Heh,.. being a prisoner of an alien race,.. escaping and becoming a paladin.. dying at the hands of the oldest alien warlord and then living inside the Black Lion's consciousness,.. all the way up to taking down Sendak and ending this war with Honerva and then dealing with all of Wayde's antics didn't kill me.. but.. then again.. life is always a crazy ride we'll always have. I only wonder when things will quiet down for longer than a few months or so."

"I'm sure it'll happen, don't worry." Keith assured his brother, smiling.

"Worried?" Shiro responded with a knowing look in his eye. "I haven't been worried since my mind faded into rest mode for two weeks straight."

"And yet you still look to be exhausted." Allura mentioned, observing him carefully. The admiral laid his elbows upon the table so his hands came together in front of his face.

"I still can't believe you guys pulled this all together, even while I was.." his eyes wandered down momentarily. "Obsolete."

"It was no trouble, I assure you." Sam reasoned thoughtfully. "If you think about it, you guys and Colleen kind of already handled _most_ of it.. It was just a matter of pulling it all together. Which was no problem for us, with _everyone_ pitching in."

"And I'm incredibly grateful for that." Shiro beamed. "We couldn't have made this day possible without _any_ of you. I can't think of a better way to spend my time today than with all of you. And Kimberly.. of course." Kimberly, as his new bride, set her hands on his and leaned her right arm against his left. Bringing one hand up to caress his arm, she leaned in for a kiss and then laid her head on his shoulder to hug his arm tenderly.

"I think, now, things are finally starting to look up for the better." The Admiral decided.

"Yes.. yes they are." Sam grinned. And in the light of the hanging string lights suspended around them beneath the statue of the Altean Empress herself. The beauty of dusk that had fallen upon them only seemed more alive than what could be expected for a normal night. Only now, did it seem to awaken a new kind of energy which rang into the night as a joyfully beautiful sound, which seemed to fit with the mood of the moment in a perfect kind of harmony no one could've ignored.

"Hey Shiro.. time for that dance you promised me." Pidge mentioned cheekily with a kind of sing-song skip in her tone, cocking a smug grin at the Admiral suggestively.

Looking to Kimberly, his bride shrugged with the subtle implication that his promised request had to be honored. Placing his hands to the table and easing his chair back to stand, he took his wife by the hand and stood her up; to then lead her toward the open space prepared for them at the foot of the giant monument. Barely a sliver of daylight remained on the horizon, as the music began. And even as they swayed together, it hardly felt like a dance, as they basked in the moment of staring one another in the eyes with the tender love in their hearts burning brighter than ever before. Their hearts sang to the tune they didn't know, but carried a song that blended their movements together in a harmony only they could achieve both together and individually.

"I can't imagine spending another day without you." Shiro told her, his grey eyes shimmering.

"Neither can I." Kimberly agreed, her loose hair flowing in harmony with the moment. "I honestly don't know what I was thinking, when I left all those years ago. Sometimes.. I wonder if it'd been _better_ if I had stayed. Maybe we'd realized we were meant to be together sooner."

"You,.. have _nothing_ to apologize for." Shiro told her, emphasizing strongly to show his meaning. "You did what you thought was right."

"Right, but what about you?" Kimberly reminded him. "These past seven years or so have been rough.. _especially_ after all you've been through since the Kerberos mission, before _and_ after that. Your life has been filled with struggles for.. as long as any of us can remember. And.. if I had been there.."

"There's nothing you could've done." Shiro told her, caressing a hand back over the side of her face; smoothing her hair back from it. "I probably would have _still_ gone on the mission.. and I would've _still_ been imprisoned.. I'm honestly not sure anything would've been different."

"I would've been here to help you work through it.." Kimberly answered rather quickly.

"Or more likely you would've tried to come looking for me." Shiro corrected, his hand lifted to her face once again and he pulled it in to press his forehead to hers. "Things went down as they did,.. and we can't go back and change it.. Let's just be glad that we got to where we are because of how much we love each other, and just look to what the future brings."

"Deal." Kimberly agreed, as he spun her around and out. At this Pidge shivered with excitement, then shifting over to the DJ booth, she whispered something in Matt's ear while subtly handing him a CD below the view of the booth. And in finishing, the Holt Siblings exchanged humorous smiles and as Katie wandered away, Matt slipped the CD into the player and prepared to manage the booth once again.

Suddenly the soft tune exploded with a jig that brought the very air to life. The couple perked up in surprise of the change, and they caught the two Holt kids dancing it out by and _in_ the booth.

"Awh-ha-ha-yeah!" Lance cheered. "Wah-hoo! Ha ha!" He howled while pulling Allura with him onto the dance floor.

Hunk space-walked by Shiro and Kimberly, and Sam sported some disco jig of his own which Colleen chuckled at, and even applauded. The happy couple glanced to one another and smiled, slowly descending into a bouncing dance of their own. Keith tapped a foot, but felt his reservation hold him back from going any further. But seeing as how Axca stood just staring.. gave him a confidence that was unfamiliar yet strangely pleasant as his feet walked him over to her. Taking her hand she looked up at him quickly as he slowly pulled her toward the dance floor.

"-What are you-.. doing? I-I-.." her hand slipped from his. "Don't dance."

"Well.. that.. doesn't mean that can't.. change." Keith answered slowly, a certain uncertainty in his eyes to match hers with a slight amount more certainty than she could manage.

"I don't even know the definition of fun in my _own_ life." Axca answered, in deep despair. "The truth is… I've _never_ danced."

"Listen.." Keith's eyes wandered down shyly. "I'm not exactly into this stuff either.. my idea of cutting loose and having fun is nowhere _near_ what most people might think.. but.. I'm willing to learn if you are.." His hand extended to her once again and Axca hesitated. Looking him in the eyes his genuine understanding cut deep into her soul and she could feel the truth of his words, and as a result she felt her arm lengthen to take his hand and allow him to lead her onto the dance floor amongst the crowd that had gathered.

Holding hands so that their palms touch and their fingers interlocked, they stood there staring for a second before letting the music take control of their bodies. One arm swinging out from their bodies; then joining to swing the others out, this repeated for one more round before their hands join, one pair of arm extended out the other bent like that of a ballroom dancing couple. Extended arms pointed down the up and around they went in a choppy step that smoothed out once their guards began to melt away. Until only the music, and one other seemed to remain, splitting ways they danced side by side in an awkward hip-hop fashion. Opposite hand over opposite knee they swiveled together in sync with their partner, as they switched sides to do the same. Lifting both hands to their chest as they leaned side to side in the same staccato fashion while their knees swiveled out then together, starting the process all over again.

"What.. is.. happening?" Axca gasped. "How.. are we.. doing this?"

"I don't know.." Keith breathed, uncertainty still hanging on. "But I think I like it.."

"Yeah.. me too." Though their words sounded positive, their tones did not quite mirror this.. even though their hearts knew it as truth. But still, they danced on.

Lance shimmied while Allura spun. Marcus and Joanna jived hand in hand, as the husband dipped his wife. Leo scampered around in a toddler's hippity-hop. And Blake swayed a slide and glide with her sister by her side, McKenna kicking left while Blake flicked right then making the back and forth switch to correlate their movements perfectly. Hunk and Lance by now had resorted to a Kid n' Play style of dance together, tapping ankles then jigging out to come back in for another tap and repeat. Pidge's hand shook side by side in front of her like shaking maracas, rattling the imaginary instruments one way with a slide then over the other way, also in a repeating cycle of smooth transitions that made the act that much more fun. Shiro spun Kimberly into him and they stood that way with a gleam in their eyes and a smile across their faces. Reaching a hand up to kiss her husband, they rolled out into an all out free for all as they danced on through the music. Dance their troubles.. _and_ the night, away. And for the first time.. everything was perfectly fine.

_XXXX_

"Ah.. what a night." Kimberly breathed, sitting with her new husband on a bench behind Allura's statue. Leaning against him with a hand on his chest, her head lay on his shoulder for him to lean into as well.

"Heh, one of the greatest nights of my life." Shiro smiled, breathing deeply into it.

"And let us hope there are many more to come.." Kimberly agreed, as they continued to stare out across the quiet city below them. "In the near _and_ far future."

"Voltron may not be needed like it was before.." Shiro began again as his gaze dropped thoughtfully, earning her glance as she lifted her head off him. "But I'd like to think it'll _always_ be needed." He looked to her knowingly. "No matter what."

"You think that's what King Alfor would've wanted?" Kimberly asked him thoughtfully.

"No.." The Garrison Admiral decided. "But I think he'd be proud to see his creation live on as a legacy." His smile was unmistakable, yet it carried a heavy sense upon it that could not be determined as any one thing. "I bet one day, when we're all gone,.. someone under us will take on Voltron's legacy and carry it to the next generation for years to come. And.. maybe even centuries."

"And you'll go down as one of the greatest heads of Voltron ever, Takashi Shirogane." Kimberly Shirogane told her husband, hugging his arm with both of hers and laying her head on his shoulder once again. "For years to come."

"I just hope things don't go as bad as they have." Shiro thought a level of dread coming upon him like a dark shadow in the night that still hung over them.

"Hey don't worry." Kimberly assured him, her hand lifting to his upper arm, halfway up to his shoulder. "What is, has happened, and what _will be_ is up to the Lord above. Just as things have gotten bad in your time.. things may happen that way in the future.. But so long as there is someone to carry on what you and those before you built.. there's nothing we, _or_ they, can't overcome. As you said, Voltron will last throughout the ages.. and as long as it remains in the right hands.. there's no reason to worry about what _might_ happen. With any threat that comes our way.. someday.. that may belong to our children and their descendants. Till then we can just enjoy the peace that we have made once again,.. and be thankful that we're all still here to enjoy it… especially you.." her smile broadened with an endearing element to its appearance. "You've _more_ than earned it." Shiro's blank thoughtful stare soon softened and he took her jaw in his hand to kiss her tenderly then wrap his arms around her.

"Thank you." He managed to say.

"Now we should go get some sleep." Kimberly decided, rising with Shiro's hand in hers. "We don't wanna sleep our first full day together away."

"Heh,.. with you?.. I'd do anything all day." Shiro smiled, rising himself. Then strolling off with hand in hand, they made their way back to the castle dimly lit with enough light to know where to find it.

_XXXX_

Tenuous thumbs turned the small clicking knob. The single eye that peered down the scope to the sliver of the red, glowing shard. A level of focus intensified his brow for a deeper focus, which lightened with a gasp. Taking the larger entity of this sample, the Holt Commander transported the deep crimson-glowing crystal, with cast iron pincers on long handles, to the white metal plated and Altean-blue, light-accented machine; and placing the crystal inside of it. Sam stepped back to watch and as he stood there watching, the blue accent lights turned red and the machine began to shake. Sam stepped a couple more paces back in surprise and the shake grew more quickly, until suddenly it burst into a cloud and Sam had to shield himself from it as he hit the ground. Coughing from the smoke, the door behind him soon opened and Colleen rushed in accompanied by Matt and Pidge.

"Sam, what in the world are you doing?!" Colleen gasped. "What happened?"

"You ok, Dad?" Matt asked, as his father recovered from coughing.

"Yes.. uh..I'm fine,.. Matt." Sam answered finally, sniffling while straightening back up to stand and edging toward his family from the decapitated machine. He then glanced back at them, with a grave look in his eyes. "But I'm afraid we may have a problem…"

~How A Wedding Bell Toils~

**Hi guys! Whasup?! So here is the final chapter. Don't worry, a cliffy is not the _actual_ end. Another fic will proceed this and all will be explained. Lemme know your thoughts, feelings, and comments on _this_ fic and any theories you may have on the next..**

**The next fic in this 'series' I suppose you could say, will be the final one I think for now. And will remain so unless something comes to mind otherwise. Anyway enjoy this chapter and be on the lookout for the next one.. thx!**


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